Can't Let Go
by kittikat8531
Summary: Usagi doesn't forget what happened in Time Travel Trouble, and she sets out to rework her new life because she just can't let go of what was. Sequel to TTT, please R&R.
1. Another Enemy

AN: Yes, I'm finally starting to post the sequel to Time Travel Trouble. So far, it's only in Usagi's point of view, though I may change it later. I hope everyone likes it.

Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own Sailor Moon. Anyone surprised?

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*Usagi's POV*

Something must have gone dreadfully, horribly wrong. I wasn't supposed to remember. _How_ did I remember?

The day after the Shitennou had left, it seemed to have worked. I was blissfully unaware of my past as a Senshi or on the Moon. For that one day, I had been a normal girl. It had seemed that Saturn and Pluto's plan had worked.

Wrong. In the middle of the night, I began having vicious nightmares. My friends dying, Mamoru… It was a miracle my parents weren't home from their vacation yet, because I had screamed so loudly a neighbor called the house, worried. My poor Luna just stared at me worriedly.

I sighed. It had been three days since then, and the nightmares just kept repeating in endless cycles. I was barely sleeping for a few hours a night, and not even that tonight. I picked the cat up and hugged her tightly. "Can we talk, Luna? Please, I know you can answer me. You don't have to worry about it."

"Usagi-chan?" she mewled in shock. "How?!"

I shook my head. "I don't know. Whatever was supposed to happen didn't. For some reason, my memories were only gone for a day. I don't have the Ginzuishou, so how is this possible?"

"I don't know," she replied, troubled. "From what you told me, you were never supposed to remember what had happened unless something came up that required the Sailor Senshi, and even then your memories were supposed to have changed so you remembered only what was supposed to have happened."

I stared out the window at the Moon. "I don't know why this is happening. Can't I be normal, just for a little while? I even still have my henshin broach. The other girls don't have their wands."

Luna leapt to the floor and began pacing, her tail swishing rapidly. "Maybe something will happen soon, and sensing it is what brought you back so quickly."

"Again?!" I asked, aghast. "Luna, I only barely defeated Beryl! Without the Ginzuishou, there's no way I can beat another enemy!"

She rubbed her head against my ankle in an attempt to comfort me. "Calm down, Usagi, I only meant it as a possibility. There could be other reasons for this. Did you make a wish at any point?"

"No, I…" I paused, considering. "Maybe. When Mamo-chan was bringing me home, I thought of how I didn't want to forget us. I told him I didn't want to forget us. But, Luna, I didn't have the Ginzuishou. I couldn't have made it happen!"

Luna frowned. "Usagi, your powers are primarily for protecting mind and spirit. I couldn't say for sure, but I think it would have been too much strain on your heart to lose him again so soon, so your magic protected you as well as it could. You couldn't let go."

"I've still lost him, though. Without his memories, he'll just hate me and tease me again. What good are my powers if I still can't be happy?!"

"Hey," Luna murmured, jumping back to the girl's lap, "don't cry. Usagi-chan, just because things don't look good now doesn't mean that you'll be unhappy. You can make friends with your Senshi again without pushing Naru-chan away. You can reach out to Mamoru-san and become close without worrying he only cares for who you used to be. This may seem hard now, but remembering might give you some new opportunities. You can't just assume you'll be sad."

My expression softened. "Thanks, Luna. I think I needed that."

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I decided to visit with Naru for a change. We really hadn't talked much since I had become a Senshi, and once she had known who I was we weren't talking because I had put her on house arrest to keep her safe. I really hadn't had a choice, since she had drawn the Dark Kingdom's attention effortlessly. Just being my friend had put her in danger, and had revealed my identity to Nephrite as well.

"Naru-chan, good morning," I greeted. "What should we do?"

"How about the arcade? We haven't played the Sailor V game recently," she offered enthusiastically.

I wasn't so sure. Could I really risk seeing Mamo-chan so soon? "Maybe we should go shopping!" I declared instead. "There's a sale at the mall and I still have most of the money my parents left me for while they were gone."

"Great!" Naru exclaimed. "I really want some new manga, and maybe clothes."

I laughed. It felt so nice to be friends with someone that didn't expect me to save the world again.

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I guess Naru was just the medicine I had needed. Spending time with her was a balm to my soul, really, and I don't think I had realized just how much I needed it. It reminded me of why we had been best friends forever. She understood me, and never expected more of me than I was willing to share with her. Typically, that would be anything, since there had been no need for secrets before.

We talked endlessly about everything. She told me that the Senshi had vanished from the news lately, and that there hadn't been any more monster attacks, which hardly surprised me, but I was enthusiastic on the topic just the same. She asked if there was a boy I liked, which was harder to answer honestly. I just told her there was, but that he didn't know. She decided to pester me about who it was, but I wasn't telling. The months as a Senshi had made me aces at keeping things to myself.

I actually saw two of the Senshi, at different times and places. Mako-chan was in the cookware shop, which was so characteristic for her I grinned. She seemed to be all right, but there was an air of "keep away" that was unsettling. I knew that I had really been the first friend Mako-chan had trusted, and that it had pushed away a lot of her tough past. I was sorry she had gone back to it.

It really didn't shock me to see Minako-chan. Some of her fan base was following her at a discreet distance. Even though my friend had given up her work as an idol after the situation with Danburite/Ace in China, she still had a few loyal to her. She seemed to be doing about the same thing as Naru-chan and I, flitting to different shops and buying tons of things she really didn't need.

It was normal for Rei-chan or Ami-chan not to patronize a mall, so I didn't have any hope of running into them, but I missed them just the same. I wanted the group to be whole again. Maybe normal lives were an improvement, but we were an excellent unit, balancing each other out in personalities and strengths even against my assumed flakiness.

I considered for a moment. What was the problem, really? So we weren't friends at the moment. That could be remedied easily enough. Once school started again, I'd work on Ami-chan and Mako-chan, and figure out the other two later on. Mamo-chan was easy, I ran into him all the time. I'd just have to take a different approach.

Naru tugged on my arm. "Usagi-chan, are you in there? It's like you were on the Moon or something."

I laughed a little hesitantly. "Sorry, Naru-chan, I was just thi- daydreaming. Do you want to get something to eat? There's a great new restaurant in the food court. We could try it."

"That sounds great," Naru-chan agreed. "Let's go!"

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After what Luna and I had discussed, it really didn't surprise me when there was a harsh impact some ways away one night, with a brilliant flash that couldn't help but draw my attention. It had only been three weeks since Beryl. Silently, I slipped out my window after henshining and moved quickly to the source, hoping I would be able to respond quickly enough to avoid coming into contact with others. As far as anyone was aware, the Senshi had vanished.

Once I arrived, there was nothing to see but a gaping hole in the pavement. It was absolutely massive, large enough for several dozen to stand around in a ring before a second formed. Luckily, no one else had appeared yet, perhaps still assuming it had only been a large earthquake. Of course, once the first police patrol stumbled across it that would change.

As though summoned by my thoughts, a squad car appeared. I ducked under the cover of a nearby tree before shinning up it to watch in case anything happened. I hadn't seen anything during my examinations, but there was always the possibility that a youma or something of that variety would appear. In that situation I would have to be as close to the scene as possible given the lack of other Senshi to help contain it.

It was lucky nothing happened, though a crowd began to form, even at such a late hour, given it was something like one in the morning. I began making my way home, sticking to rooftops and trees in an effort to remain unseen.

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After quickly briefing Luna, I headed out, automatically trailing to the site. I knew that there would be plenty of other people, and it was likely that the rest of the Senshi and Mamo-chan would be there as well, drawn instinctively to the dangers it hinted at.

They were there, as expected, watching from various points. Maybe it was some sort of idiocy on my part, but I instantly positioned myself near Mamo-chan, hoping for… I don't know, something.

Whatever it was though, I got, when the crowd's surging knocked me straight into him.

"Can't stand on your own two feet, Odango Atama?" he drawled. "Really, and at your age, too."

"Shut up, jerk," I answered huffily. "My age? At least I'm not the one insulting people for being pushed. You should work on your maturity levels."

He just snorted before stalking off. I rolled my eyes. He hadn't expected an intelligent-sounding retort. Poor guy was in for a rude awakening, I mused. Just because I didn't really want to argue with him didn't mean I couldn't give as good as I got.

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Naru and I were talking on the phone when it happened. Of course, I have to admit that I hadn't been the slightest bit surprised when she shrieked and suddenly stopped talking. If anyone would attract attention from an enemy, it would be her. I just hadn't expected it so quickly- after all, I had only gone to investigate the crash last night. I sighed, hanging up the phone and running out. Luna followed me in response to my signal.

I had to play up the act once I arrived though. Both Naru-chan and her mother couldn't suspect me right now, so I had to be cautious. Once Naru's mom and I opened the door, the poor woman fainted dead away when she saw the monster crouched over her daughter. Well, that at least made things easy.

"Ahh!" I fake-shrieked. "A monster! Oh, I know! This must be a dream! Well, if it's a dream, then I can control it."

The monster _snorted_ at me. Really, don't any enemies at least have the courtesy to attack with somewhat polite monsters?

That bit of inane thought put me in trouble. The thing let go of Naru-chan and pounced on me instead, taking my energy. Past experience had taught me that my energy was particularly attractive to their kind due to the sheer power it provided, so something had to be done. Quickly.

Luna seemed to read my mind. Artemis was there as well, saying something, but whatever it was, Luna ignored. She leapt into the vine-like plant creature and clawed at it until I was released. Drained, the ground seemed to leap up at me. My knees hit with a deep thud that seemed to shake my entire body. I gritted my teeth, pushing the exhaustion back.

Once I gained my feet again, I pulled out my broach, chanting the much too familiar line. "MOON PRISM POWER, MAKE-UP!"

Sailor Moon rushed to meet me again, offering that extra bit of energy that would be able to sustain me long enough to fight. Unfortunately, the time that had taken had allowed the monster to go out the window, chasing after Artemis. It would only go after other victims, so I would have to corner it and get rid of it quickly.

I dashed out after it without thinking, I guess. Without the Crescent Moon Wand, my only weapons were my tiara and my wits. The combo didn't do much for my confidence, knowing how weak my tiara could be. Since I didn't know the actual strength of this enemy, I might be volunteering myself for the next slot in the Galaxy Cauldron. I really wasn't aiming to die a second time in three weeks.

Luckily or not, it had found another prey quickly, poor Artemis, so it hadn't gone far. I shot the cat a glance of concern even as I shouted to get the thing's attention. It glared up at me.

I wasn't really in the mood for the full speech tonight, so I cut it a bit short. "Let him go right now or you are _soooooo_ moon-dust!" Not that it strictly mattered, since I would take the thing down regardless. It would just be easier without catching innocents in the cross-fire.

It tossed Artemis away, more interested in the stronger energy I possessed. Curse or blessing? I couldn't say at the moment, dodging its stupid vine tentacles, hoping I wouldn't get myself killed. Luna and Artemis both jumped at it, scratching viciously at its face to give me a moment. Poor Artemis was still shaky. My hand flew to my tiara.

The vicious thing knocked away both cats, and Artemis and Luna didn't stand up again, though they tried. My eyes narrowed at the nasty monster.

"It's unwise to hurt my friends," I said in a low voice. "Naru-chan, and Luna and Artemis? You've signed your own death warrant." The golden metal flashed at my touch. "MOON TIARA ACTION!"

I held my breath as I released my weapon, unsure of if I would succeed. It seemed Lady Luck had chosen to take my side once more, since the monster screamed. A card fell to the pavement, actually slicing in to the rock. It had an image on it for a moment, but it quickly blackened. I stared at it.

"Sailor Moon!"

"What?" I turned, and jolted in shock. There was what appeared to be a large projection image of two beings, with green skin and oddly colored hair. The faint piece of Serenity's mind that remained without the Ginzuishou to sustain her whispered that it was an alien species of some kind, but one she had not encountered before.

"I didn't know there was someone like you on this planet." The male was speaking.

"Who are you two?!" I demanded.

"A member of the wandering nobility of the universe, Ali."

"Likewise, En."

"So you're the ones that were controlling that monster!" I accused, more than a little angry. I had been enjoying my "retirement".

The one that had called herself En laughed. "What we did today was just the beginning,"

"That's right," Ali agreed. I was already finding the pair incredibly annoying. They both laughed as the image vanished. I growled.

"Sailor Moon, those guys…" Luna began. I didn't really pay attention. "Sailor Moon?"

"Good-bye to the ordinary Usagi-chan," I sighed, staring up at the moon. Luna and Artemis watched over me, giving me space to think.

Monsters, again. Odd ones at that. I had only been able to stop being a Sailor Senshi for a few short weeks, and now I was the only one there to fight against a new enemy. I had already decided that Luna wouldn't be allowed to awaken the others unless there was no other option. My friends deserved their peace after fighting so bravely before and giving their lives for our cause.

And Mamo-chan… our encounter earlier that day had been just like before. He had insulted me like usual, but now it stung more. I wasn't entirely sure why. I brushed it aside as best I could before picking up both cats and heading home.

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Things stayed relatively quiet for a while, with the monsters being weak enough that I could destroy them with my tiara. It was a relief, really, but that didn't mean I got off that easily. I took blows, nasty ones, from being completely isolated with no help.

This particular night, I was still trying to baby a number of rather painful curved slash wounds across my back and sides. There was even one on my neck that had just barely avoided being fatal, curving around from the back of my neck and coming only an inch from my jugular. I was wearing high-neck shirts and scarves to avoid having it be seen. The others were at least concealed easily. I knew I would be in trouble in the case of another attack. My reaction times were down from the pain.

I was trying to re-bandage them carefully in my room when I heard the tell-tale shrieks coming from the park. I sighed. What was it with the park and monsters? I quickly henshined and forced myself to not think of the pain I was already in. At least being Sailor Moon would increase my healing rate, so I might recover before I ran into the monster.

Wrong. I had barely set foot in the park when it came at me like a ton of bricks. I barely dove to the side in time, and the damned thing managed to catch me in the arm, leaving yet another stream of blood behind, staining my fuku. I cursed.

My injuries protested viciously when I tried to pull off some gymnastics maneuvers to dodge the next few attacks. I could already feel my strength draining off. Another attack was aimed straight at me, and I couldn't possibly evade it in time. I just closed my eyes and braced myself, hoping against hope it wouldn't be too bad.

A glowing sword flashed forward and intercepted the energy, deflecting it to its source. The light emitted was so bright that I could see it even through my eyelids. I glanced around wildly.

Kunzite was battling the ugly thing. I was used to hideous creatures, but this one seemed especially bad. For starters, it appeared to be partially melted, giving it a lopsided evil sneer. I grimaced. It just got worse from there. It was humanoid, sort of, but seemed scaled, or something that gave it a pebbled skin under the melt. This sucker was _big_, too. It was easily twice Kunzite's height, and he wasn't short. The most disturbing point was the gaping mouth that created the sneer. The thing had a lot of teeth. I'm not talking a couple dozen, like normal. I'm saying more along the lines of a few _hundred_, and all of them were closer to fangs than actual teeth.

The Shitennou seemed to be wearing the thing down well, and I gave a sigh of relief. My tiara came instantly to my hand as he presented me with a good target. Catching the flare, he immediately moved out of the line of fire to give me an open field. Pouring as much power as I could spare into the metal, I flung it with pinpoint precision, causing the monster to turn to another of those mysterious sharp cards and blacken.

I slid to the ground, too tired to keep standing. He knelt by my side, concerned.

"Are you all right, Princess?" he asked cautiously as he wrapped a strip of fabric from his cape around the gash on my arm.

"Don't call me that," I told him absently. "I'll be fine in a few moments. I just need to get some energy back."

"Did it drain you before I arrived?"

I shook my head. "There's been too many of them recently. I'm still healing from the last one, so I'm very tired already."

His eyes darkened. "This is not a good sign, Pr- Sailor Moon. You should alert your Senshi."

"No," I countered firmly. "They haven't been awakened. I want them to have a chance at normal lives, which is why I've left everyone alone so far. You shouldn't know either. How did you?"

"Your magic is what saved me," he explained carefully. "As best as I understand it, I now have much the same obligation to you as I would to Endymion. Since your true defenders seem to be unavailable, that bond brought me to your aid."

I muttered a few choice curses under my breath. "I didn't want you to be caught up in this any more than I wanted them to. Go home, Kunzite. Live a normal life for a while."

He frowned. Knowing him as I did from my memories of the past, I knew he was going to be stubborn on this one. "Absolutely not. You are my Princess, and I owe you a great debt. It is not simply an obligation through that debt, though. Venus and I renewed our bond, Sailor Moon. Her duty is mine. Since she cannot help you, I will take her place."

"Kunzite, it's just a few monsters. I'll be fine on my own."

"Which is why you were about to get hit when I arrived? Sailor Moon, that would have been a fatal blast if you are already injured. You simply could not continue to fight alone if they occur as frequently as you say."

I barely resisted the urge to growl at him. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm glad Kunzite cares, but he can be so _stubborn_. Here I am letting monsters kick the crap out of me night after night, and he won't even accept the sacrifice I'm making by living the normal life I wanted for them. I had grown accustomed to this behavior of his toward Minako-chan or Mamo-chan, but he had never directed this particular infuriating habit of his toward me before.

He must have seen my expression, since he adopted a kinder tone than the hard one he typically used. "I'm not calling you incapable. The gods know you are the strongest, kindest girl I've ever seen. Usagi." I looked up at him, shocked to hear my name actually being used. "I'm not only doing this out of a sense of duty. I'm protecting you because I care about your well-being, as much as I would Minako or E- Mamoru. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

I was really flattered at this point, honestly. Kunzite doesn't like to show emotion much, and he'll typically only do so around Minako-chan unless he's really upset. He was a quiet, stoic man by nature. I sighed. "I know. I'm sorry if I seemed harsh, but I really do want you and the others to be able to have a normal life. I didn't want to drag any of you into battle again."

"Why isn't Mamoru-kun helping you? From what Minako has told me, I know he typically senses your danger and comes to you even without his memories."

I shrugged, trying to make it seem like I didn't care. "Don't know." I had wondered about that many times already.

He watched me for a moment, but nodded. "You should return home before the press arrives, Sailor Moon. Be careful of those injuries." He passed me a small chuck of what appeared to be a gem. My assumption automatically was that it was a piece of kunzite. "This will help us communicate between distances. It enhances psychic capabilities between us, so you can call me if you are in need of assistance."

I smiled. "Thank you, Kunzite. I really appreciate what you're doing for me. Just- just don't tell Minako-chan when she comes to see you this month. I don't want them involved."

He hesitated. "It really is the sort of thing that I should inform my mate of, especially given that she is the leader of your guard."

"Please. She'll only worry. She can't fight anyway; she doesn't have her henshin wand."

He sighed. "Very well. I will keep your secret, at least for the time being." I began to thank him again, but he raised a hand to stop me. "For the time being. If I begin to believe that you are in too much danger, I will alert your Senshi personally. I will not see you placed at risk any more than necessary."

Now I heaved a sigh. "Fine. That's the best I'll get from you, I guess. Still, thanks. I'm glad you're here since the others aren't."

He smiled. Just the faintest hint of one, really, but it was a smile, which made it an absolute rarity in his case. He vanished easily.

I began the trek home, muttering for a good while about the irritating qualities of the people I surrounded myself with. Once satisfied with that train of thought, I progressed to more important issues. Kunzite should not have been able to remember- this I knew absolutely. In a desperate situation, it would have been Mamo-chan that would have sensed my need. There had to be some sort of issue where Mamo-chan was incapable of coming to my aid that another would have assumed his role.

I was almost home when I decided abruptly that I needed to check on him, badly. At this time of night, he would most likely be asleep. I immediately turned and leapt to the roof of the nearest building, cutting across town while paying no mind to my own poor physical state. I needed to see him.

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AN: That's the end of the first part. I'm really not sure how long this story will go though. For the most part, it will continue to roughly follow the events of the Doom Tree arc of the second season, though there will be some pretty big changes made. However, Kunzite will be the only Shitennou to make an appearance, sorry. Please, please, let me know what you think so far! Till next time!


	2. Senshi Revive

AN: I actually already have a good portion of the story written, which is why more than one chapter is being posted today. I hope everyone enjoys!

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. Still.

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He was sleeping when I arrived, but his face seemed troubled. As cautiously as I could, I began sending waves of comfort and reassurance through our bond, to ease him without disturbing his rest. I just sat on his window sill, watching him.

After about a half hour, he slept more deeply, moving beyond the world of dreams. I slid open the window and entered the room silently.

I was getting an odd sense through my bond to him, as if there was a semi-opaque barrier between us. I could reach him, but it felt strange. I perched on the edge of his bed and took one of his hands in mine. Concentrating, I let the magic flow.

I adjusted my senses into the stream. Opening my eyes again, I now saw things in a magical sense rather than the physical world I could still feel around me. There _was_ a barrier between Mamoru and I. It wasn't very strong, but there nonetheless. Our bond also lacked a certain depth that I was hard-pressed to explain, even to myself. Something was missing.

I began to probe more deeply into his magic and mind. Abruptly, I pulled up short. I was right; something was missing. Every bit of his memory regarding me, any of his powers beyond the psychometry he'd possessed since childhood, every wisp of Endymion was seemingly absent from his soul. The place was there, but it was empty, as if a piece of his being had just broken away for some reason or other. I pushed myself away, horrified. The only slight bit that remained was the dream that I had sent him for so long, of the Princess asking for his help. It didn't even mention the Ginzuishou any more. No… no. That wasn't strictly it. I could feel, in a vague sense, a remnant of the urge that drew him to me whenever I was in danger. It was very weak, though, only enough to make him uneasy rather than to bring him to my rescue.

Withdrawing fully from the power, I sank back against him in shock. He was still deeply asleep, but his arm wrapped around my waist. I only slightly noticed the contact, too caught up in what I had learned. He hadn't come… because he couldn't. Endymion's place in his soul was empty. He still had some of his magic- that had been born in him long before the creation of Tuxedo Kamen or any emergence of the ancient past. There just wasn't any active magic that he could use except to heal. Our small contact had activated that skill and all my wounds, new and old, vanished.

I couldn't bear another minute. A barely muffled sob forced its way through my throat even as I leapt out the window. I didn't even bother to use the balconies to drop down more slowly, just letting myself fall. I was only a few feet above the ground when I twisted and pushed off the next building with my feet. Once I was steady on the edge of a fence, I began jumping up again, very pointedly avoiding Mamo-chan's window.

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"And, in other news, there have been increased sightings of Sailor Moon outside of battles. A strange man has been noticed with her as a companion, but the rest of the Senshi seem to have chosen to sit this round out, and there is also no sign of the mysterious Tuxedo Kamen."

I flipped the TV off with a scowl. Of course the others weren't around, but it was hardly a choice. As for me… well, Luna would have killed me if she saw that. I wasn't supposed to linger while in Senshi form, for fear of drawing attention to myself to the point of revealing my secret. I didn't really have a choice, though; I just had to check up on Mamo-chan and my friends. A deep instinct warned me that just as much as trouble always found me, it would seek them as well. At some point or other, they would be brought back into the fight.

It had become a habit for me. No, I never henshined outside a fight, but once the battle was done I always found myself outside Mamoru's, watching him. My feet would then take me to each of my friends' so I could make sure they were all right.

They didn't seem to be, though. They were alone a lot, practically all the time, really. It was true for Mamo-chan or any of my Senshi. As much as it pained me to admit it, they had been happier as warriors, because as dangerous as it was, it had given them the friends they never had.

Rei was feared by most of the other people at school because of her unusual abilities. They might have gone to her if there were things they wanted to know, but she wasn't allowed to be close to them, and they never accepted her. She just stayed at Hikawa Jinja every day, with Yuuichiro and her grandfather as her only company. The sole exception was the two crows she had named Phobos and Deimos. I recognized them easily as being her guardians from the past, but I never let them know I was aware of their little secret. I would've had to sit through another diatribe for not awakening the other Senshi.

Ami-chan remained essentially the same as she had always been. She studied constantly. Her companion was a book, not a person. Sometimes there was such a sad expression in her eyes as she watched the other students in our class. They would laugh and have fun all the time, but she was never invited to join them. They knew she was busy with her cram school and everything else and just left her alone. She might as well have just not been there.

Mako-chan got in fights a lot. People said a lot of mean things behind her back, though I corrected them whenever I could. I was working on getting her to open up to me, just as I was with the others, but she had been tormented for so long by the kids at our school that she was having a hard time trusting me to really be a friend instead of just looking for something else to bother her with.

Minako-chan had her fans, but not friends. Everyone considered her haughty and even made comments about her dressing up like Sailor V or calling her a wannabe. I saw the pain in her eyes all the time. She didn't even have the support of _knowing _she was Sailor V. She relied on Artemis for comfort, though I can't imagine he was much support when he couldn't talk to her. I knew he wanted to, just to take the loneliness from her eyes, but he couldn't any more than I could. Of all the Senshi, she was the hardest to reach, simply because there weren't many ways for our paths to cross. I went to school with Ami-chan and Mako-chan, and I could talk to Rei-chan by going to the shrine, but Minako-chan and I had no real common grounds. My plan was to corner her in the mall sometime and chatting until she talked too.

Mamo-chan barely spoke to anyone. Even Motoki-onii-san was receiving the cold shoulder, and Mamoru was being more surly than usual. He would though, on occasion, smile at me during one of our encounters. I didn't antagonize him, or screech at him for calling me Odango Atama, simply because it was foolish to do so. I wanted him to like me, not to remember me as the girl that shrieked at him like a fishwife. Slowly he was starting to accept me again. At the very least, we were friends. I hoped we might become something more if I gave it enough time.

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I really knew intuitively that things would involve my Senshi sooner or later, but I prayed constantly that it would be later. Maybe they were lonely in their normal lives, but they weren't in constant danger, and I never wanted them to die for my sake again. It had already happened twice, and both occasions were burnt into my mind and haunted my dreams. I could hardly bear thinking about it. I wanted them far away from any battles, even knowing that there would come a point where my tiara wouldn't cut it and I'd need their support. I tried to rationalize it by saying that I had Kunzite to back me up.

It would have been impossible for me to not become suspicious when I heard that all four of my Senshi and Naru-chan had been invited to audition for a role in some show or other. Naturally, I did my best to be included, since I would end up there anyway when the fireworks started. So far, I had been dealing exclusively with energy gatherers, and five young girls made excellent targets for energy. Something about Naru drove those particular monsters to her, and Senshi energy was particularly powerful.

The guard at the studio wouldn't even let me wait with Naru-chan, which only made me more suspicious. A closer look told me that he had been brainwashed, or something along those lines. There was a glazed layer in his eyes that made it exceedingly clear. I circled away, hoping to find a different route.

Luna had come with me, which was definitely nice. "Luna, do you know how to get out of here?"

"I have no idea, Usagi-chan. You should pay more attention to your surroundings when entering unusual places."

"Oh, you worry too much. I see Mamo-chan up ahead; I'll ask him."

She rolled her eyes but didn't say anything as I approached him. We had been cultivating a friendship of sorts, so he didn't grimace or anything when he saw me, which was pleasant in comparison. Unfortunately, the new girl in my class- Natsumi, or something like that- was here too, hanging off his arm. Her brother had joined our school too and he followed me around sometimes. It really freaked me out when he did that, especially since he seemed incapable of taking no for an answer.

He shook her off when he saw me. "Odango Atama."

Some greeting. "Hey, Mamoru-san. My friend had an audition here, but I got lost. Where's the exit?"

"An audition, huh? Sounds like fun. It's a lot of work, though, acting. Well, the exit's three corridors down and two to your left, then down again. Got that?"

"Three down, two left, down again. Got it. Thanks for the help, Mamoru-san."

"Mamoru-san," Natsumi purred as I mentally throttled the twit, "could you please show me around? I'm dying to see how a TV studio looks."

"No, sorry," he replied coldly. "I have work to do, and I'm already running behind." He brushed past her, waving to me as he took off. I waved back, just to irritate her.

"Usagi-chan," she smiled, faux-sweetly, "are you friends with Mamoru-san?"

"Of sorts," I answered vaguely. "We've known each other for a while, but we didn't get along for ages. We're just becoming friends now."

"Could you tell me anything about him? He doesn't talk too much," she prodded.

I shook my head. "I really don't know all that much about him." Complete lie, that. I knew everything about him. "You'd do better to ask some of his classmates or something." Not that it would net her any results. Mamoru didn't open up to anyone except Motoki and I, and neither of us would tell. "Listen, Natsumi-san, I have to go; I'm meeting a friend after her audition."

I just _know_ she was glowering at my back as I walked off. Returning to the door to the studio Naru was sent to, I was practically hit with a sharp wave of dark power. I fell back a few paces, coughing. "That was unpleasant," I muttered before plunging in.

The place seemed to be filled with an odd purple mist of some sorts, making it very vague and hard to see, but the place seemed much larger than it looked on the outside. I rather guessed that it wasn't just the layout giving it that feel. The room had definitely grown.

Luna darted out and yelled at me. "Usagi-chan, there's trouble! You have to henshin, quickly!"

I nodded, my hand falling to my broach. "MOON PRISM POWER, MAKE-UP!"

I really needed to learn how to make the process a little quicker and less showy. Thirty seconds of lights and ribbons passed before my henshin was complete. I was raring for a fight at this point, knowing all of my best friends were involved. A good portion of me was somewhat pleased Mamoru had been deflected by the nuisance that was my dear classmate, since it kept him away from this mess.

I only needed a few moments to take inventory. With the ease of long practice, I leapt to the top of one of the decorative arches, rather shocked when it didn't so much as tremble. Okay, not decorative- this thing was actually a stone arch! I shook my head at the vagaries of energy-stealing aliens with little respect for human life.

Naru-chan looked like she had already been zapped, which hardly surprised me. Out of the five of them, her reflexes would be slowest, which would make her easy to pick off when they had started running. Mako-chan was carrying her as the other three led the way. Ami-chan, as usual, was spouting off information of some kind. There are occasions where I would swear that she has a second Mercury Computer in her head.

Putting Naru down, both Rei and Mako-chan prepared to fight the monster, which seemed to be along the lines of a Minotaur from Greek mythology, though with a few alterations- like the fact it was female. And way too scantily clad to be terrorizing young girls. I sighed, trying to figure out why exactly that seemed to be the case with so many of my female enemies. I mean, look at Beryl! She was practically bursting out of that dress!

'Focus, Usagi,' I reprimanded firmly before shouting to get the monster's attention. Ali and En had obviously taken off already if they had been here at the start, but I assumed they had by Luna's reactions. The monster had a few scratch lines down its face as well, and I would assume that Rei had tried one of her charms against evil spirits, which was most likely the only reason it hadn't gotten all of them already. I already knew that the charm wouldn't have held for long.

"Hold it right there! I can never forgive someone who bullies girls!" At least not those girls, at any rate. "In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!" I hate that speech.

I saw the monster coming at me and had to jump out of the way before it impaled me on its horns. A small part of my mind heard the others saying something about the situation looking familiar. Instinct told me that this monster was too strong for the tiara and had me reaching for my Wand- that I had lost after fighting Beryl, and the Ginzuishou with it.

I managed to dodge the next few attempts, but the thing was fast and I had no back-up. I knew Kunzite wouldn't come to my aid when there were others around since the glamour surrounding his appearance was less powerful than the ones shielding the Senshi's identities. Without a way to attack, I knew it would catch me sooner or later.

It did. I had my back against the wall and nowhere to go. It managed to get its horns to either side of me, locking me in my position and starting to drain my energy. I was dropping off quickly, but I was still aware enough to realize when it hoisted me high off the ground. I just wasn't strong enough to fight back.

I know Luna panicked and what would come next. I couldn't fight, and Kunzite couldn't help, but there were four other warriors in the room and she was terrified for me. Four identical beams of golden light sprang out and lit each of my friends' faces. For a second, a glowing crescent adorned their foreheads as it did mine, quickly replaced with the symbols of their respective planets. They knew what was next.

The henshin pens came to their hands as Luna brought them forth. Judging by their words, they truly remembered the past only as it should have occurred, as I should have. I heard them calling the words that were in a sense imprinted in our souls.

"MERCURY POWER!"

"MARS POWER!"

"JUPITER POWER!"

"VENUS POWER!"

They spoke together in the last line. "MAKE-UP!"

I had already lived this occasion, so I remember how it feels to embrace the power after its absence. For me, it was colored with the despair of fighting again. For them, I highly doubted they would see it the same way. Being a Senshi gave them a purpose and friends. They also carried the overwhelming instinct to defend and protect me, which gave them the strength to fight even against the most overwhelming odds. My friends…

I was seriously slipping now, too tired to even listen to what was happening. My energy levels were dropping too rapidly. I felt Mercury's mist burst forward and recognized its coolness on my skin. That soft brush of my Senshi's power helped me recover, a little. I opened my eyes even as Jupiter leapt up and pulled me away from the creature. She then proceeded to blast it. My hair lifted slightly at the static electricity in the air.

I was completely aware again as the card hit the ground, returning a portion of my energy to me. An image of Ali and En appeared.

"Damn it! I didn't know there were five Sailor Senshi!" he growled.

"We won't forget this!" En warned. They vanished again.

I leapt to my feet to face my friends. "Everyone!"

"You still can't do anything without us," Mars said with a grin.

Jupiter added, "We just can't leave you alone."

I couldn't stop smiling. Maybe I wanted normal lives for them, but there was nothing more reassuring than having the whole group united once more.

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AN: That wraps up part two. I should post another chapter or two after this, so if I have, keep reading. Please everyone, let me know what you think! Till next time!


	3. Power

AN: Yes, a third chapter all at once. Aren't I nice? I think that's all for today though. As usual, I hope everyone enjoys the story!

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon continues to not belong to me. Pity.

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The monsters were called Cardians, as it turned out. My enemies not only had poor taste in form, but they couldn't name well at all. Youma, Cardians… what next? Bogeymen? I sincerely hoped not. Then again, if my enemies were intelligent in naming, they may have been intelligent in other things, such as strategy. If that happened, I was in deep trouble.

I continued to operate primarily on my own though the Senshi joined me on occasions when I hadn't been alone or if it was a particularly mean one. Kunzite continued to protect me as much as he could without being revealed.

I was actually running to a battle one afternoon when I barreled full force into Mamo-chan. Honestly, I had been being very graceful as Serenity's tendencies became more and more natural, but I had been in a huge hurry.

"Odango?"

"Sorry, Mamoru-san!" I squeaked. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

"I noticed," he said drily. "What's the big hurry?"

"Um…"

"Odango."

"Um… Ican'texplainnowIhavetogorightawaySeeyaMamoruBye!"

After that rather garbled bit of excuse-making I ran off again, looking for a convenient alley to henshin in. After a few moments, I found one and ducked in, lifting my broach in the air.

Hurry kept me from checking my surroundings too closely, I suppose. During the whirling I realized Mamo-chan was standing at the mouth of the alley staring at me. His mouth was hanging open too, which would've been funny if it hadn't been serious. Without Endymion, he wouldn't have a clue as to what was going on. He didn't even have Tuxedo Kamen-sama to fall back on.

"Odango!" he exclaimed. "You're… you're…"

"Sailor Moon," I finished tiredly, blowing a piece of my hair out of my face. "I really don't have time to get into this now. I have a battle to get to. We can talk later. Just don't tell anyone what you saw."

"I won't," he promised as I ran off.

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The battle was mercifully brief and easy, possibly because it was far enough out of my normal area that Ali and En had assumed I wouldn't find out. The Cardian had been easily dispatched once Kunzite pushed it away from me long enough to whip out my tiara. He was about to leave, but I stopped.

"Wait a minute!" I called. "Please. I could use someone to talk to that would understand."

He arched one eyebrow but slipped the sword into its sheath while watching me passively. "Your wish is my command, Princess."

"Don't call me that," I repeated for the hundredth time automatically, then sighed. "Mamo-chan walked in on my henshining as I was trying to get here."

"And that's a problem?"

"Yes!" I exploded. "It is, because somehow Endymion is missing from his mind! He's purely civilian and knows who I am!"

"Sailor Moon, he's still the same man you fell in love with again and again. He will protect you instinctively, even if he doesn't fight by your side," Kunzite commented.

"But Endymion's gone, and he took every memory of me with him!"

He rubbed his temples, exasperated. "They are still the same soul, and their love for you is an essential part of their being. He would never betray that, Usagi-sama."

"Don't call me sama, either. Kunzite, I don't know what to do, and you're the only person that remembers the changes!"

"Just tell him the truth, or as much of it as can be told safely. I wouldn't mention the Moon Princess or anything along those lines, but you can tell him about Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen and the battle with Queen Beryl. I would leave myself and the other Shitennou out as well, for now."

I smiled a little and nodded. "It's easy to see why you're the leader. You're very intelligent. I'm just a dumb blonde."

"Hardly," Kunzite countered. "You are a highly intelligent young woman attempting to cope with a difficult situation. Never doubt your own worth, Usagi." He gave one of his ultra-rare full smiles. "If I wasn't completely devoted to Minako-chan, I might fall for you myself."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "You're a sweetheart, Kunzite. Minako-chan is definitely lucky to have you, and it's nice to see you seem to have recovered from your 'I'm-not-worth-anything' phase just because some vindictive witch brainwashed you. I'm definitely glad to have you on our side."

"Usagi?" a new voice interjected. "I heard a battle and came looking for you. What is _he_ doing here? Isn't he supposed to be dead?"

"Venus!" I cried. "Um… Well… He's not dead, obviously… Oh, this would be so much easier if everyone had their proper memories! Kunzite!"

He frowned a little before bowing courteously to the other golden Senshi. "My lady Venus, I am no longer your foe. Due to the power of your gracious princess, I have returned to aid her in the fight against your new enemy in the place of my lord prince."

"Right…" she murmured, staring at him. "Your prince being?"

"The other Shitennou and I serve the good Prince Endymion of the Golden Kingdom once more now that we are freed of Beryl's evil influence. Though my comrades are not with us, we too share a mission to guard the planet."

"Usagi-chan, is he for real?" Minako questioned curiously, still staring. "He's kind of hot."

"Minako-chan…" I muttered weakly. "Yeah, he's for real all right, though he left out a bit of the major information."

"Why?"

"Because there are things in the past best left alone," I said firmly. "You'll know if you have to. Lord Kunzite assists me in the place of Tuxedo Kamen-sama, and I am grateful for his help. We already took care of the Cardian, so you can go home."

She nodded cautiously and walked away, occasionally turning to eye us suspiciously.

We waited till she was well out of earshot before I gave out a long sigh of relief. "I can't believe she found out."

"Minako has good instincts and only seeks to help you."

"Still, you wanted to keep your privacy. I'm sorry, Kunzite."

"She'll laugh when she has her memories back. Besides, it places both of us in the same situation. She'll look for me again."

"Most likely," I had to agree. "Minako-chan is nothing if not persistent."

"You should speak with the prince. I will accompany you on the morrow to see if I can discover the location of Endymion's mind. However, you should speak with him tonight. In light of recent events, it may be best if you speak of us after all. He will need my aid if he does not recover his own abilities."

I nodded and sprinted off, making for Mamo-chan's apartment building.

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He actually looked to be waiting for me when I arrived, constantly looking from his book to the door, to the clock. I watched for a few moments from the balcony before knocking on the sliding door.

He was on the other side in a flash, opening the door and allowing me to slip in. He looked me over, presumably looking for injuries. Mercifully, I wasn't sporting any tonight.

"You're Sailor Moon," he said finally.

I nodded. "I have been for about a year now. I became Sailor Moon the first time the same day we met, when I threw that test paper that hit you."

"I'm guessing the other Senshi are the girls you hang out with all the time." Another nod. "Why do I feel like I should know this?"

Now things would become a little messy. "You… were my protector, for a time. Tuxedo Kamen always intervened if Sailor Moon was in danger. I didn't know it was you for a long time."

"Why don't I remember?"

Harder. "No one did after we defeated Queen Beryl. The Senshi were reawakened when the new enemy was too difficult for me to handle alone."

"But I wasn't. Why?"

"I will try to explain that one tomorrow. A friend will come with me to see if he can help. You probably won't remember him, but he was a friend of yours too. Sailor Venus leads my guard. This friend leads yours. His name is Kunzite."

"Why would I have a guard if I was supposed to protect you?"

Oh well. It would come out when he regained his memory anyway. "I have a guard as the Moon Princess. Your guard, the Shitennou, protect you because in our last life you were His Highness Prince Endymion, crown prince of the Golden Kingdom."

"I was a prince? And you were a princess?"

"It must be hard to believe."

He nodded, looking shell shocked. "Believe me, it is."

"Oh, I do believe you. I had a difficult time believing it myself. Are you all right?"

"Sailor Moon, you just dropped a veritable bomb on me. It'll be a few minutes before I have full control of cognitive function."

"You don't have to call me Sailor Moon."

"Odango."

"On second thought…"

He laughed, finally. "That's more like it. I was starting to wonder if you were in there at all."

"I'm not always a carefree teenager. Rarely, even. Most of it is a façade."

"Yeah, I got that," he agreed. "Most people don't seem to see it."

"You did?" I asked, a little surprised.

"Of course. I'm an expert at all concealed emotion. I can smell a façade a mile away."

I giggled a little. "Fair enough."

"You should probably head home and rest," he told me with a quirky grin. "It's late and you must be tired."

Now that he mentioned it, I was. It was easier to ignore fatigue if it went unsaid. "You're probably right. I'll talk to you tomorrow, then."

"Be careful!" he called after me as I leapt to the rooftops.

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I was exhausted, but duty called. Kunzite, using that little telepathy stone he had given me, had arranged for us to meet at a formal café/restaurant near Mamo-chan's apartment before we went to see him. Hopefully, Kunzite would be able to figure out what was wrong with him and we'd be able to fix it, since I missed him rather desperately.

I overslept- not surprising given that between fighting and all the stress from everything else. I threw on some nice clothes in a matter of moments, told Luna goodbye and raced out the front door calling the same to my parents. My mother and father, from the brief glance I had of them, looked to be in shock that I was awake so early on a weekend.

Among other things, Kunzite and I were going to work on my training a little before going to Mamo-chan's. He wanted to improve my skills in telepathy so I could speak mentally without the gem, and to give me further training in hand-to-hand combat since my tiara was becoming more and more obsolete with each passing day. The other Senshi's powers in addition helped though, so we often ended up channeling Mars' fire into the metal, or some of the others if we really needed the extra kick.

I had actually moved fast enough to arrive before my overly punctual companion, for once. I dropped into a chair to allow my breathing to return to a more stable pattern as soon as the maitre d' escorted me to our table. Kunzite and I had standing reservations for our weekend meetings while the Senshi and I met in the afternoon.

My eyes were closed when he got there, so he tapped me on the shoulder. I probably jumped a meter into the air before I realized who it was.

"Don't do that," I breathed. "I thought you were a Cardian."

He chuckled faintly. I had noticed he was beginning to open up to me as much as he would Minako-chan or Mamo-chan, a part of him that he so seldom revealed. "You would have sensed the darkness, Usagi-hime. After all, your aura at the moment is almost as strong as when you hold the Ginzuishou."

"Really?" I asked, flattered. "I didn't realize I was channeling magic at the moment. Wait- you called me hime again. You really need to stop that."

"My apologies," he said adroitly. I didn't believe it for a second. "Now, what would you like for breakfast? Judging by your flush, you ran here and most likely did not eat anything before leaving your household."

"Right for one," I muttered. "I'll have a croissant and tea, I guess."

He signaled a waiter, ordering two of the flaky pastries, a fruit platter and a small pot of our favorite tea. He watched me quietly as I tore in to my delicious treat, opting to begin with a piece of melon himself.

"Are you quite all right?"

I was a little startled at that one. "I'm fine. Why?"

"You seem a little… off. Something is bothering you, perhaps?"

I sighed, picking at my food. "Sometimes you are too observant for my own good. I'm worried about Mamo-chan, and now Minako-chan as well since she stumbled onto our little secret."

"It would have happened eventually. As for Endymion, I begin to believe worry for him is a permanent part of your mindset."

That one forced a faint laugh and I began to eat again. "You're probably right. I worry about him more often than I worry about myself."

"You never worry enough about yourself, which I recall is part of the reason I became involved in the first case."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "I didn't ask you to."

One of his eyebrows slid up. "Is my assistance unwelcome, my lady?"

I huffed. "Don't go all formal on me. You know I appreciate the help. I just wanted all of you to have more time to be normal."

"Normality is overrated. Beyond that, you're well aware that none of us enjoy a _normal_ existence. It is poorly suited to our temperaments."

"I know, I know," I grumbled. "I just wanted you to be safe, okay? Once Minako-chan remembers, she'd have my head if you were hurt."

He laughed- one of the deep, rumbling laughs that never cease to sound odd coming from him. "Minako would no sooner do you injury than she would leap off Tokyo Tower. She loves you far too much for that."

"They all do. It's almost embarrassing at times, even beyond the worry, knowing how much they would do for me with no regard for themselves."

"They worry about you because you don't for yourself. If it helps set your mind at ease, I should remind you that it is not our pasts that make them loyal to you. You are their friend and they protect you for that, not because you are royalty from a dead kingdom a thousand years ago."

"And what about Mamo-chan?" I know I sounded bitter. "He didn't seem to care for me at all until I told him I was Princess Serenity the first time. Is he interested in me, or the girl from a thousand years ago?"

I stormed out of the restaurant and ran, headed for my favorite place in the park. I had miscalculated a bit, I guess. Kunzite appeared behind me and caught me by the shoulders to keep me from running again. I should've remembered he could teleport.

"I can't let him go," I wept as my control broke down. "Even if it is Serenity he loves, I can't."

"You shouldn't have to," he countered, "and you shouldn't at all. He reciprocated your love when you reformed your soul bond as he died. That was you and Mamoru, not Endymion and Serenity. You can't let him go because walking away from your soul mate would be the worst pain you could ever imagine."

I turned and wept into his nice suit jacket. "I don't like this. I don't like that he doesn't know me and doesn't remember how much we love each other. Why did Pluto make everyone forget what really happened?"

"I'm sure she had her reasons," the Shitennou replied grimly. He sat on a bench and let me curl up against him. A small part of me felt guilty, since it was Mina's love instead of mine, but I could not deny that I needed the comfort. "She usually does, though it is rare for her to reveal them."

"I need the Ginzuishou," I managed to say. "It'll make me strong enough to actually be able to help him."

"Then look for it."

"But how?"

"You can sense it, can't you? It's a part of you. Reach out and search for it, like you would if you wanted to find Endymion. Just focus on the Ginzuishou instead."

I let my mind wander, feeling around for the sparkle that would indicate my Crystal. I froze, shocked I hadn't realized before. My gaze shifted up and latched onto the barely visible moon. "Of course," I breathed. "It's on the Moon, with Mother. What better place for safekeeping, and to allow it to regain its full strength? Kunzite, we need to go to the Moon, now!"

He seemed a little bit surprised, but nodded. Focusing for a moment, his normal clothes were replaced with the Shitennou's uniform. His hair, short when he was a civilian, returned to its normal length. I favored him with a quick smile before leaping to my feet.

"MOON PRISM POWER, MAKE-UP!"

I certainly couldn't go alone. After all, the only way to get to the Moon was to teleport, and I was incapable of doing so. Perhaps if the rest of the Senshi were with me, we might be able to, but we'd never tried without the Ginzuishou. Kunzite was the only one that still had that power.

"We should probably inform Mamoru-sama that our meeting will be delayed," he murmured as he grasped my forearm.

"He'll understand," I replied casually. "If I have the Ginzuishou I can be more help to him."

"Shall we go, then?"

I nodded. Maybe I blinked or something, but barely a moment later we were standing in the midst of the ruins of the Silver Millennium. He really was strong in teleportation to have accomplished a transfer so smoothly and silently.

"Mother!" I called. Kunzite moved back to a respectful distance. "Mother, where are you?"

A tiny holograph appeared over the seal, just as it had the last time I had come here. "Yes, my dear daughter?" she asked with a small smile.

"I know the Ginzuishou is here. Please, may I have it back? I can't continue as things are; the monsters are far too strong to be defeated as I am now."

Queen Serenity frowned. "This is not how you were to regain the Ginzuishou."

"Please, it's important. Something is wrong with Mamo-chan, and I can't help him without the Ginzuishou. I can't even fight the Cardians that are hurting people," I pleaded. "Pluto would understand." Hopefully.

She sighed. "I suppose I had no choice, since you figured out where it was." The sparkling gem appeared in front of me. I held out my hand, but instead it joined with my old broach. A flash blinded me for an instant, but when it cleared my broach had changed to a pink enameled one with the Ginzuishou nestled in the center of its interior. "The Ginzuishou is still not fully recovered from the drain of fighting Queen Beryl, Serenity, which is why it was here. You must be cautious with its power and avoid drawing too much."

There was a second flash and a rod of some sort appeared. "What is it?"

"It's the Moon Scepter, darling. You can use it in your fights, since the Crescent Moon Wand is no more."

I nodded. "Thank you, Mother."

"I do not approve of Pluto's methods," she told me. "You lack choice in many things. I know she only has your best interests at heart, but I would have you happy rather than suffer through so many trials."

"Trials strengthen the soul," I murmured, even though I privately agreed with her. One of these days I really needed to have a long discussion with the Time Guardian. "I learn from the things I go through."

My mother nodded. "Go to your mate, sweetheart. Just remember that I love you."

"I know. I love you too," I managed around a lump in my throat. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Who knows?" she asked. "You have changed your path many times. Perhaps it will change again and allow us to meet once more. Goodbye, my daughter."

"Bye," I whispered as Kunzite took my arm again. My eyes closed even as we reappeared in the park and I sank to my knees. "I hate this."

"This?" he repeated as he returned to a civilian appearance. I let my henshin dissolve.

"Everything. That I have to be trapped in a destiny I don't know and suffer constantly because something went wrong and I never forgot who I really was. I know Pluto wants me to obtain a certain future, but why can't I choose my own?"

"You have, in some ways. You changed your path a few times now. I was supposed to die in the caves that day. My heart tells me so, but you risked everything to bring me back so Minako would smile again. You chose to tell Mamoru-sama of the past. You're giving him back the friends he lacks."

I sighed. "You make it sound much better than it is sometimes. Has any of it actually altered the path I'm on?"

"Who can say? All you can do is work with what you have, Usagi-hime. Now, I believe you wanted to discover what is wrong with Mamoru-sama?"

"You know, if you call him that he'll probably be pretty confused. I told him you led his guard, but I'm not sure if he humored me or actually believed what I was saying."

"I'll try to keep the honorifics to a minimum," he said drily. "Usagi-_hime_."

"Smart ass," I growled as I led the way to his building. He chuckled.

The doorman had probably been given instructions, because he let me in automatically, though Kunzite gave him pause for a moment. I guess since I hadn't given Kunzite's description Mamo-chan had no idea what to expect. I waved away the man before dragging Kunzite to the elevator and ordering Mamo-chan's floor.

"Sorry about that," I murmured. "I forgot to clear you."

He shrugged. "Had the man persisted, I simply would have paid him for admission."

I arched an eyebrow at him. "Feeling like a hotshot today?"

"My civilian life provides ample sums for a leisurely existence. I rarely have to worry about things such as a little cash here or there."

"Showoff," I muttered as he chuckled again.

The doors slid open with the far too common pinging sound that seem to accompany any elevator regardless of world, time, or anything else. After glaring at the thing for a second, I stalked out and headed for Mamo-chan's door with Kunzite dutifully trailing after me. I rapped on the door.

"One minute!" a muffled voice called from inside. A few seconds later, Mamo-chan opened the door with just a pair of sweats on. Judging by his wet hair, he had just gotten out of the shower. I blushed. "Sorry, I was expecting you this morning. When you didn't come I figured you had said a different day and I hadn't been paying attention."

"It's my fault," I replied. "Something came up that required immediate attention. May we come in?"

"Sure," he said with a grin. "Make yourselves at home. I'll throw some clothes on. Can I get you anything?"

"No, thank you," Kunzite answered. "We ate just a short while ago."

A look vaguely akin to jealousy passed over Mamo-chan's features, but it was gone in a heartbeat so I assumed I was imagining things. He couldn't think Kunzite and I…? I shook it off. If things went well, it wouldn't matter because he would know the truth shortly. Kunzite ushered me to the sofa as Mamo-chan took the armchair. I barely managed to squash the urge to cuddle.

"Let me introduce myself," my companion began. "I believe Usagi-hime already told you, but my name is Kunzite. I am the head of the Shitennou, your guards of the past life. Unfortunately, my comrades are currently unavailable."

"I'm still having a hard time believing the little Odango told me," Mamo-chan drawled. Kunzite shot me a sideways glance at the nickname. I just shrugged. "I was a prince and you were my guard."

"Head of your guard," I corrected. "He is the most loyal of the Shitennou and once was one of your dearest friends."

"If they're so loyal, why haven't they been around before?"

"Because the other three are dead!" I snapped. "Dead, and I only barely managed to save Kunzite. During our last battle, the Queen of the Dark Kingdom brainwashed them into becoming our foes. Three died before I had enough power to protect them!"

Kunzite laid a hand on my shoulder. "Calm down, Princess," he murmured before facing Mamo-chan again. "As you may imagine, she does not deal well with what she perceives to be a failure on her part. Through treachery, we fell to the Dark Kingdom. Even with that, she considers it her fault that she had been unable to save us."

"Treachery?"

"It's not something I want to hear about," I managed to whisper. "Please, don't. Kunzite, can you see what's wrong with him?"

My friend nodded and moved so that he was face to face with Mamo-chan. "This may feel a bit unpleasant, since the link is old, but I will try not to be too intrusive," he warned him.

Knowing what I did, it was easy to see the signs that Kunzite's consciousness had wandered. His body seemed fine, but his eyes were as devoid of life as if he had been brainwashed once more. Mamoru jolted a little in shock, but he slowly relaxed. Presumably the sense of familiarity had comforted him.

It seemed an age before Kunzite withdrew from Mamoru's mind and magic. It took a moment to realize he had once it finally happened, so slowly did he emerge. After several seconds of silence, they both turned in my direction. At some point, when I had no idea, I had huddled into a little ball.

Kunzite sat in front of me on the coffee table. "If you have no objections…?"

"What?" I asked, confused. "Why?"

"A suspicion," he shrugged. "You were right to say Endymion was gone from his mind. I simply mean to examine a possibility based on the theory you presented as to why you continued to possess your memories even after the others forgot."

Slowly, I nodded. I had never actually been on the receiving end of this particular act, so I was a little uncomfortable, but I trusted Kunzite to be discreet. I let my gaze latch onto his and felt his presence in my mind.

'I shall endeavor to leave you as much privacy as I may, Usagi-hime,' he whispered. 'Please, just relax.'

I began to shift to a meditative state, one Sailor Mars had taught Princess Serenity so very long ago. It would open my mind and make it more accessible, to visions or a search as the case may be. Having the Ginzuishou made it easier, making my mind and magic more available to me so that I could immerse myself fully.

Kunzite actually pulled away without my realizing, so he shook me a little to bring me out of my trance. "Well, I have the answer to your dilemma, Usagi-hime."

"Really? How?"

"When you made the inadvertent wish that allowed you to maintain your memories, you also wished that you didn't have to be without him. You said you weren't strong without him. Because of that, Endymion's mind tied itself to yours, to give you the strength you needed."

My eyes must have been as big as saucers, if not bigger. "I did what?!"

"You tied Endymion to you," Kunzite repeated. "Through the bond and the force of your desire, you held on to a part of him."

I could barely believe what I was hearing, but Kunzite was trained in these things as I was not. "How do we undo it?"

"That," he smiled, "is simplicity in itself. You need only wish it, Princess. With the Ginzuishou in your grasp, it is no more complicated than that."

Mamo-chan, who had been rather strangely silent through this bit, felt the need to break into the conversation. "Does someone want to tell me what on Earth is going on?"

I snickered as Kunzite bowed slightly. "I would, my Prince, but I believe the explanation you desire would be much easier if you allow the Princess to undo the accidental magic. Usagi-hime?"

I opened my broach so I could see the Ginzuishou, then bowed my head and focused, wrapping myself in a tendril of its power. 'Please, Ginzuishou, return Endymion to himself. Let him be whole again. Don't leave him torn apart. Please…'

No one had to tell me that I had succeeded- the silver light that first surrounded me and then leapt to Mamo-chan did that. I _felt_ the part I hadn't known was present leave, and also _felt_ it returning to its rightful place in Mamo-chan's mind, the last piece slotted into place.

For a moment, Earth's symbol blazed on his forehead and he briefly flickered to Endymion's armor. After that, a golden nimbus surrounded him, exaggerating his features as his magic burned its way to its proper place. The Golden Crystal, still in my subspace pocket, hummed in response. Kunzite shot a startled look at me, but I shook my head.

Finally, Mamo-chan's head fell forward and the lights faded away. He took a ragged breath. "That was… a little painful, actually," he managed around gasps. "Usa?"

"Mamo-chan!" I exclaimed, throwing myself into his arms. "I missed you so much!"

He laughed. "I know. I missed you too, my Usako."

Kunzite rolled his eyes a little, probably at the vagaries of the royals he served. "If you insist on acting like a pair of newlyweds, I think I'll take my leave," he said.

"Oh, no, Kunzite, don't go," Mamo-chan replied. "There's so much to discuss. I'm glad to see you well, by the way. We didn't have a lot of time to talk during those three days, since you were usually off with Minako-chan."

I curled up and snuggled closer. "With you, that means almost everyone involved remembers," I chirped. "Only Motoki-onii-san and Naru-chan don't know."

"And they'll stay that way," Kunzite ordered sternly. "Your Ginzuishou is too weak to extend your power to another girl, and Mamoru-sama does not yet possess the Golden Crystal."

I hid my guilty expression by burying my face in Mamo-chan's neck. "Eventually, though."

"Maybe someday," Mamoru sighed. "Right now, it's just good that we're together again. I appreciate that you made friends with me when I was being a real pain, Usako."

"Nothing to it," I grinned. "After all, I already know you're a softie at heart."

"Oh really?" he play-growled. "We'll just see about that."

I scrambled out of his lap and hid behind Kunzite. "No tickling!" I protested as he stalked closer. Kunzite watched wearily, no doubt convinced that we hadn't matured at all over the last thousand years.

I stopped thinking about it after that, since Mamoru lunged around his friend and tackled me to the floor and proceeded to tickle me quite mercilessly as I shrieked with laughter. Kunzite shook his head and left, saying he would be in the park for an hour or so if we ever learned some dignity.

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AN: That sums up today's chapters of Can't Let Go. I got so many people asking for a sequel, but I wasn't entirely sure about what to do for it. This has been in progress for a while, but I put off posting till I was a little more confident in what I had. I hope all you marvelous readers enjoyed it. Any comments, questions, concerns, requests, please review! I'll try to answer any questions you may have. Till next time!


	4. Little Chats

AN: Time for another chapter, and thank you to the kind reviewers that have already been following the story. Your compliments really make it worth my while to do this. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon still belongs to its creator. Go figure.

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Mamo-chan decided to stay home after we had worn ourselves out, but I figured I needed to talk to Kunzite before he told Mamoru that I had the Golden Crystal.

He didn't even begin with a greeting before he shot me an accusing look. "You have the Golden Crystal."

I nodded. "It fell into my subspace pocket while we were battling Queen Beryl, just before we died."

"But you didn't give it to him!"

"I couldn't!" I snapped. "You know as well as I that such things must be obtained properly, not simply handed over. It worked for me because I had already earned the Ginzuishou, so there was no problem with Mother giving it to me. Mamo-chan has to regain the right to wield it."

Slowly, Kunzite subsided. "I had forgotten that its allegiance must be won."

"Things of such power cannot be available to random passerby. Even within its royal family, a bearer must pass a test of some sort. If not, they can wield only the smallest portion of its true power. That's why I was never taught how to fully use the Ginzuishou; I had not unlocked its potential."

He nodded. "Prince Endymion too had to succeed in a challenge before the Golden Crystal obeyed him. Before that, it remained with the Priest of Elysian."

"Because neither of his parents had been accepted as a true wielder after his birth," I remembered. "Helios kept it until Endymion was ready. I plan on calling him now that I have enough power and returning the Crystal to his keeping."

He agreed easily enough. "It is a sound plan. I apologize for overreacting."

I shrugged. "You didn't think it through. It's understandable since you just exercised considerable power soul-diving."

"KUNZITE!!!" a girl's voice called. We both looked up in surprise.

"Is today what I think it is?" I asked mildly as I recognized the blonde headed at us full tilt.

"Yes," he grimaced. "She will have been worried that I was not home. My apologies again, Usagi-hime."

"Not necessary," I replied. "I forgot too. I should be apologizing for keeping you on the one day you can spend together. I'll be on my way then."

"Usagi-chan!" Minako breathed in shock. "What are you-?"

"I'm just going home," I smiled. "Don't mind me. Have fun, you two."

"You know?!" she exclaimed rather loudly.

"Shh!" I urged. "Yes, I know. Please spare my eardrums any other outbursts. We've already had a bit of a difficult day. You lost a good portion of your time, so by all means be on your way. I shan't need Kunzite's assistance further today."

I took off before she could ask anything else, heading in the direction of my house. Once out of their line of vision, I switched directions and headed deeper into the park, searching for the hidden grove I adored spending time in. Kunzite and I also used it for a training ground, and it was protected by a loop of magic that kept any that weren't aligned with the Senshi from entering. I decided to get some time in to work off the excess energy that accompanied holding the Ginzuishou again, since it had taken very little power to restore Endymion.

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!"

I figured first on the agenda was to call Helios, though. The Golden Crystal needed a safe haven until Mamo-chan could use it. I knelt in the traditional fashion and placed my hands flat on the ground.

"Helios, guardian of dreams and the sacred realm of Elysian," I intoned, "Princess Serenity, heiress of the Moon Kingdom, seeks an audience."

Light spread from where my palms came in contact with the dirt until I was encircled in a ring of gold. As I rose, Helios appeared.

"Greetings, Princess Serenity. How may I be of service, Highness?"

"Greetings to you, old friend," I smiled. "It has been a long time since we last met."

"Many years have passed," he agreed, "but I'm afraid I cannot tarry long. You needed something?"

I drew the Golden Crystal from my subspace pocket. "During the battle with Queen Beryl, just before my death, this came to me," I explained. "However, Endymion is not yet prepared to hold it. I would see it in your hands, guardian."

He bowed formally and held out his hand. The Crystal went to him willingly. As he closed his grip around it, it vanished and reformed as a horn just under his white fringe. "The Golden Crystal will rest safely," he assured me. "However, before I leave, there is someone that wishes to speak with you."

"It's not Pluto, is it?" I asked nervously.

He laughed, for the first time letting the formality drop. "No, it is not Sailor Pluto. Your counterpart in another time would like to say thank you. Something about the Shitennou and a turning point?"

I chucked. "I didn't expect to speak with her, though I am glad to know that she has apparently survived. Sure, we can talk. Do you need to stay, or can you just send her?"

In answer, the white priest vanished and a tiny magical hologram formed, only about a foot tall. She was me, or my old self, a perfect mirror image. I sat on the ground so we could speak more easily.

"Your Highness," I said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Oh, none of that courtly stuff please!" she begged with a laugh. "I get enough of it here. I wanted to thank you, my other self, for what you did. You saved my world."

"I'm glad," I replied. "I wouldn't wish my fate on anyone, not even Beryl herself. It is not a happy one. The Shitennou were an incredible help."

"They are dears, really, though they would sooner eat slugs than admit it," the Princess giggled. "Really though, thank you so much. My Lord Kunzite and the others informed me of the troubles you face. I would never be so strong."

"It surprised me too," I muttered. "You would have been, but it's not a trial you have to endure now."

"I can't talk long," she sighed. "Endymion is distracting Pluto so I can. She really is a bear about following rules. She even said you didn't hold the Ginzuishou, let alone your memories!"

"My memories never left," I stated drily. "Something went wrong and I didn't forget. As for the Ginzuishou, it just returned to me today, though Mother said it was not the way it should have."

She turned and glanced over her shoulder, seeing something I could not. "Oh bother, I have to go!" she cried. "Thank you again, and good luck!"

The image shattered into bits of silver magic, with the scent of the Moon still lingering in the air.

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After my little chat with Princess Serenity, I proceeded to beat the crap out of one of my practice dummies. One of the little tricks Kunzite had placed over our clearing was a strong enough shield charm that I could use my most powerful weapons without being seen, an advantage I hadn't had while wielding the Crescent Moon Wand. I figured it was as good a time as any to try out the Moon Scepter.

I swung it around a few times, getting a feel for it, before I took aim. "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!" I called as beams of light and small crescent moons shot out and crashed into the dummy. A few put fist sized holes in the material before another of Kunzite's spells repaired it for another blow.

"Nice new toy," someone commented from behind me. I nearly leapt out of my skin in surprise. Typically I would have sensed someone nearby, but for the second time today I had been caught off guard. I pivoted so sharply I almost fell over.

Tuxedo Kamen dropped out of a tree with a grin on his face. "Still the same klutzy Odango."

"Do you want me to start calling you Mamoru-baka again?" I asked, exasperated. "Even better, I can try my _new toy_ on a live target."

"Now, Usako, you wouldn't hurt me," he chuckled.

"I'm considering it," I muttered before taking a deep breath and relaxing. "Sorry. I don't like being snuck up on. Call it being tense from fighting alone too often."

"You should've let the others help you sooner," he told me as he began massaging my shoulders.

"Mm," I moaned, not really interested in that argument. "By the way, why are you here? You said you were tired."

"I felt you henshin and wanted to know what was going on."

I froze. "How long were you here?"

"Long enough."

"Damn," I cursed. "You saw me with Helios."

"And the Golden Crystal, yes. Calm down. I understand why you did it. I remember that I have to earn that right," he commented softly. "You really need to relax. Some of us already know all your little secrets."

I smiled a little. "No one else knows me like you do."

"I should hope not," he growled. "My Usako."

Now I laughed, the nice deep kind you feel in your soul. "Selene, how I've missed you!"

"Well, I'm back now. You don't have to carry it all alone, though it is nice that you're working with Kunzite."

"He takes his duties very seriously. Since you and Minako-chan weren't up to helping me, he took their place. He's a good man, Mamo-chan, though somewhere in his heart of hearts he still blames himself for what happened and wonders if he's right to be around us at all. He still considers himself nothing better than a traitor."

"We'll work on it," he sighed as he let Tuxedo Kamen fade. "Minako-chan is your best tool against that particular obstacle. Once her memories return, she'll be at him until he gives it up. He never has been able to resist her very long, so once she's got enough time he's a goner."

I dropped Sailor Moon too and just leaned against him, absorbing the comfort and support I never seemed to get without his presence. "I'm sorry I took Endymion from you."

"It was an accident, Usako. You didn't know, and you fixed it when you did. Anyway, if that hadn't happened, who knows how long it would have taken to regain my memories? Let alone the full ones."

"I guess so," I sighed. "I should head home, though. It's almost time for dinner."

"How would you feel about my giving you a ride?" he offered. "I seem to recall a certain Usako saying she wanted a chance to go on my motorcycle."

"Really?!" I asked. "Can we, please?"

"Sure," Mamo-chan chuckled, "as long as your dad doesn't kill me for it."

I smirked. "He's out of town on business, and Mama won't mind. Please?" I begged.

"Not the puppy dog pout!" he protested, shielding his face from the awful power of the pout. "I offered, remember?"

"YES!" I cheered. "Thank you, Mamo-chan!"

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It was nice to be able to enjoy something without being interrupted. No Cardians attacked, and I got to spend time with my boyfriend again. Since my dad wasn't around, he actually took us all the way to the driveway instead of letting me off at the end of the street like he usually did.

Once we got there, he lifted me off instead of letting me get off on my own. Once he had a grasp on me, he swung me around in circles in the air as I laughed. Mamo-chan was never big on public displays, but now that we were finally together again neither of us cared, even when my mom and brother came out to watch. Shingo made gagging sounds, but Mama quickly shushed him.

Mamoru took off quickly, most likely hoping to dodge the inevitable questions. I considered yelling coward after him, but decided against. I strode inside, just smiling as my mother pestered me.

"Usagi-chan!" Mama protested. "Who was that?"

"Chiba Mamoru," I answered. "He's a friend of Motoki-onii-san's."

She frowned at me. "Why was he swinging you around like that?"

"I got a good grade on a test. He's my tutor, so he was happy for me." Strictly speaking, I was lying, but hey, I didn't plan on letting people know we were back together. I had to take care of the Natsumi-brat and her stalker brother first.

"That didn't look like a congratulations from a tutor," she observed.

"Mamoru-san can be very enthusiastic. I have homework to do for tomorrow." I took off up the stairs before Mama could ask anything else. I needed to talk to Luna.

My feline guardian glanced up as I danced in. "Something good happen, Usagi-chan?"

"The best!" I chirped. "Mamo-chan has his memories back! We can be together again! AND I have Tuxedo Kamen-sama to bail me out if I'm in trouble. Kunzite was glad to have him back too."

"I'm happy for you," Luna smiled, then paused. "What happened to your broach?"

I had almost forgotten, though my gaze dropped to the pink item as well. "It evolved. I have the Ginzuishou back too, and a new Scepter."

"Really?!" she meowed. "How did this happen?!"

I explained everything that had gone on over the course of my busy day as I pulled out my assignment and began doing the problems. "I've also been busy scaring Haruna-sensei a lot with how high my grades are now."

"She never really understood you," Luna said proudly. "I always knew you had the potential to excel in anything."

I glanced up. "Really?" I asked with a soft smile. "That means a lot to me, Luna. I always thought you considered me lazy and silly."

"You are lazy and silly," she corrected. "It doesn't change the fact you're also highly intelligent and fully capable of doing anything you set your mind to. You just hid it because you didn't want to be different. I think you're probably as smart as Ami-chan!"

Tears formed in the corners of my eyes, though I tried to brush them away. "Thanks. That's probably one of the nicest things anyone's ever said to me."

Luna purred as she jumped into my lap. "Do your homework, Usagi-chan. You have a test Monday and I want to see you give your teacher a heart attack when you get a perfect score. In fact, I think I shall come and watch."

I chuckled. "Every time it happens I think she's going to faint or something, but then she says it's because Ami-chan is a good influence. I think I'll keep it up; it feels good not to have Mama on my back for bad grades."

"You're an amazing girl," Luna sighed. "It doesn't matter who you used to be, Usagi. You're an absolute angel."

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Luna's kind words gave me the strength to not tear out stupid Natsumi's hair when she kept throwing herself at my boyfriend. We had agreed to meet at the new virtual reality center for a little fun, but when he acted chivalrously and rescued her from a creep after she arrived with her brother, she started clinging to him like a suckerfish. Her spooky brother started hovering around me even as I tried to rescue _my_ guy from the evil girl's clutches.

She refused to let go even once we'd gone in. She squashed in with the pair of us in the little car-type thing. One jolt knocked me back against Seijuro, and then I heard my father's voice asking what was going on.

I nearly screamed when I spotted him and Shingo behind us. "Daddy, Shingo, what are you doing here?" I demanded.

My brother called me an idiot and continued with the game as my father tried to form coherent statements but couldn't. I quickly backed away from Seijuro as instinct drove me closer to my Mamo-chan. I really didn't like Seijuro, and I certainly didn't trust him any more than I did his snake of a sister.

Luckily, I managed to get away from my family before my father regained speech functions as we moved into the more interactive portion of the game. I didn't care for the counter breastplate used for the game, or the arm and leg guards, too accustomed to the light fighting gear of a Senshi, but shrugged and did it anyway. The stupid gun thing gave me some trouble too. I wasn't the best shot with a narrow beam in the hampering armor.

Mamo-chan obviously was excellent, not that it surprised me at all. His weapon of choice was a sharpened rose, which was _much_ harder to aim with than a toy gun. He and Seijuro kept glaring at each other and competing for the targets, so Natsumi and I backed off and let them at it.

I'm embarrassed to admit that when one monster appeared behind me with a shocking resemblance to one of the Seven Great Youma, I shrieked and ran. Mamo-chan shook his head and took off after me, finally allowing us to ditch the irritating siblings.

After that, I had a hard time regaining my balance. Too many of the holograms looked like old enemies for my peace of mind. Mamo-chan shook his head and blasted them all. "You're hardly going to get a good score like this, Usako."

"I don't really like shooting games," I commented. "Laser beams are much thinner than the ones from my wands. You're amazing at this though."

"A lot of practice," he laughed. "A gun is definitely easier than one of my roses. Besides, my 'defending Usako' instincts kick in every time you freak out."

I growled at him a little, though I wasn't serious. It was just nice for it to finally be only us. "Natsumi-san really likes you."

"She's really annoying," he grimaced, running a hand through his gorgeous black hair. "I can't seem to do anything to get rid of her. I've had clingy girls hang on me before, but she takes the cake. Her brother keeps staring at you too."

"He's creepy," I shuddered. "He follows me around all the time and keeps trying to get me to go out with him, as if that would ever happen. You're a billion times better than he could ever hope to be."

He grinned and tugged one of my pigtails. "Glad to hear it. You're right though; he is creepy. The way he watches you really gets on my nerves."

I bit my lip. "At least Natsumi doesn't watch you like that. Every time he does it I feel like I'm in a whole lot of trouble. I don't like the vibes he gives off."

"USAGI-CHAN!!!" My gaze shot up at someone calling my name. My little brother came running around the corner, panting. "Usagi-chan, there's a monster! It's got Dad!"

"What?!" I asked, startled. "Here?" I sighed. "Shingo, stay here. Mamoru?"

He nodded. "Do as your sister said," he ordered. "We'll take care of things."

"I want to come with you!" Shingo protested.

I shook my head. "You need to stay here, where you're safe. Dad would want you out of harm's way. Mamoru and I can help him."

"Why should you go instead of me?" he rebelled.

"Shingo!" Mamoru barked. "Don't question your older sister. We'll take care of things. Stay here!"

My brother fell back, chastised. I grabbed Mamo-chan's hand and dashed away, rounding the nearest corner. "One more," I said quickly before dashing off again. Once we rounded the second, I stopped. "Okay, we should be all right to henshin. MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!"

I didn't bother to check on Mamo-chan; his henshin would have occurred with mine, so we were both good to go. We headed for the screams, as quickly as we could, while I called the other Senshi over the communicator.

"No, Mars, I don't know the situation, but there are civilians in here!" I snapped. "I need backup to make sure the Cardian doesn't hurt anyone else!" I turned it on just as we came around to see the thing.

It is probably pointless to say it at this point, but the Cardian was ugly. They all are, I guess; the only decent looking monster I recall was one of the Seven Great Youma. It made sense though, since she was an art youma. This one had tentacle hair that grabbed humans to drain their energy, and an insect's tail. My dad was in the process of spraying it with a fire extinguisher. Bit of a useless move, really.

The thing slapped out at him. My poor father crashed into the wall and hit the ground rather heavily. He didn't get back up. The Cardian hauled him into the air and began draining him.

I growled. "MOON TIARA ACTION!" I called, slicing through the tentacles holding people. Tuxedo Kamen hung back in the shadows, watching me carefully.

I shot him a quick look. 'Ali and En are here,' I whispered into his mind. 'I'm going to use the tiara again, but I don't think it'll work a second time. The Cardians have become too powerful. Don't freak out; I just don't want to reveal my new powers to them yet. One shock a fight is enough.'

He glared at me. 'You're deliberately putting your safety on the line.'

I gave a mental shrug. 'It doesn't help to show my hand too early. They'll learn of my Scepter soon enough, but the Senshi are on the way. We'll still win.'

He sighed. 'I love you, but you are a reckless girl.'

That merited a chuckle. 'Only if you're around to save me, Mamo-chan. Let's try this out.'

The monster glared at me viciously with its tentacles cut. I grabbed my tiara a second time and hurled the glowing disc, but it stopped in midair and returned to its normal state even as Mamo-chan hurled a rose at it to keep it from hurting me. I could feel my Senshi approaching and slipped to my knees.

"Who are you?" Ali demanded.

"I am Tuxedo Kamen," he announced. He didn't bother to explain anything else, which made me want to cheer at the looks on the aliens' faces.

Ali and En growled as the Cardian- I suppose it actually isn't all that bad in comparison, but it still wasn't pretty- headed my way again.

"SHABON SPRAY!"

I love Mercury. "Everyone… Mercury-chan… my tiara doesn't work anymore!" I wailed, letting Ali and En overhear.

"Calm down, Sailor Moon," she told me kindly as she knelt next to me.

Venus grabbed the item in question and held it out to me. "Sailor Moon, pull yourself together," she said encouragingly.

"Venus-chan…"

All my Senshi turned to face the Cardian and its controllers. "We will be your opponent in place of Sailor Moon!" Venus shouted as they took places in front of me. Mars' fire burned through the tentacles it waved at us. Jupiter and Venus readied attacks.

"CRESCENT BEAM!"

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Together, the attacks hit the Cardian I had just heard En call Hell Ant. It screamed, "CLEANSING!" as all do when defeated. The card fell to the ground and blackened, for once not slicing into the floor.

"We will get back at you for this!" Ali threatened. He and En vanished once more, still leaving us no clues on who they were or how to defeat them. Something about them…

"Excellent work!" Tuxedo Kamen called from a position he had taken in an upper niche.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" the Senshi exclaimed together. "But how…?"

He dropped down next to me and de-henshined as I did. "I've been back for a few days, courtesy of Usako."

"USAKO?!?!"

I laughed. "Nice of you to let the cat out of the bag," I said, poking him in the ribs. "Do you want to explain or should I?"

"You," he said automatically. "You know what is and isn't taboo."

The girls were glaring at me as they de-henshined. "Usagi-chan…"

I couldn't help it; I laughed again. "Fine, fine. For starters, I got the Ginzuishou back." I gestured at my new broach. "As for today's fight, I didn't really need you guys to defeat the monster, but I didn't want Ali and En to know that I powered up just yet."

"But your tiara didn't work," Ami-chan said, confused. "If it did, it would have returned to you instead of lying on the ground."

I shrugged. "My tiara isn't my only weapon any more. Along with the Ginzuishou, I have the Moon Scepter. It's even more powerful than the Crescent Moon Wand, so I'm hardly defenseless."

Rei glared at me. "So you went through that whole little gag and nearly scared us half to death for nothing?"

"Ali and En need to think I'm still not very strong for a while longer. If they hadn't been here, I would've taken care of the Cardian on my own. However, Ali and En watch me closely if they're around. It's too soon to reveal myself."

"How did you get the Ginzuishou back?"

I bit back a sigh. "Guys, there'll be emergency teams here in a few minutes. I suggest we make ourselves scarce and talk elsewhere. Mamo-chan, can we go to your apartment?"

He nodded. "It's not too far from here, and it's private. We should leave before anyone else gets here, though first we should take your father back to your brother."

I winced. "I almost forgot Dad was here. Yeah, I'll take him to Shingo-kun. You guys can go on ahead."

"You have a lot of explaining to do," Rei warned me.

"I know, I know," I replied, waving them off. "Now shoo."

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AN: That wraps up the fourth part. From here, I don't really have much pre-written, but I'll try to get another part up within the next few days. Please let me know what you think! Till next time!


	5. Planning, Remembering

AN: I actually just finished this, so it hasn't been proofread or anything. I apologize for any errors, but I really wanted to update since I've been getting nice reviews.

Disclaimer: I still don't own Sailor Moon. Wish I did, but I don't. Life can be so harsh.

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I was stuck with my family for a little while, long enough to get Dad and Shingo home, but as soon as Mama started bandaging them up (Shingo had taken a few hits before he came to find me) I took off again, saying I was going out with the girls. I took off at a brisk clip, making my way to Mamo-chan's apartment. I actually was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't realize anyone was nearby until I crashed into them.

"I'm so sorry!" I exclaimed, bowing.

"Quite all right."

I glanced up at the familiar voice. "Kunzite!"

"Hello, Usagi-hime. Might I ask where you're off to that you can't even pay attention to your surroundings?"

"I was going to Mamo-chan's, actually," I replied. "Tuxedo Kamen put in an appearance at today's fight, and the Senshi want an explanation."

He nodded. "Shall I accompany you? I imagine this explanation will involve me regardless."

"Aren't you busy?" I asked curiously. He shook his head. "Sure, I guess. Hopefully the Senshi don't try to fry you."

He smiled faintly. "Lead the way, Princess."

"Well, even if they try, Minako-chan will protect you. Even without her memories, she's smitten," I teased, noticing the look on his face. "The way she looked at you when she ran into us that day…"

"Usagi-hime, you know I have the utmost respect for you, but I really do not want to be forced to quiet you."

"Aw, are you embarrassed?" I asked, an innocent expression pasted on my face. "I didn't mean to."

"Of course you didn't," he sighed. "Can we go?"

I laughed. "Sorry, sorry. I needed something to lighten the mood, I guess. I told Rei-chan to 'shoo'. I don't think she's happy with me."

He chuckled softly. "Fair enough, I suppose. Never fear, your Prince and I will protect you, Princess."

"Now who's teasing?" I demanded.

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I had barely entered the room before Rei pounced on me. "Spill," she ordered.

"Ah…"

"Rei-chan," Ami-chan called, "I'm sure Usagi-chan can explain more easily if you do not try to strangle her."

Rei glanced down at her hands as if she had not realized where they were. Luckily, no one had really noticed Kunzite yet, since they had been distracted by one of my Senshi trying to kill me. She slowly released her grip. I rolled onto my stomach and coughed in an attempt to restore air to my lungs.

"Thanks," I managed, though I probably was very quiet. "I appreciate that."

"It's nothing," she grinned a little scarily. "Now explain."

'Mamo-chan, please make sure you're between Kunzite and the Senshi,' I sighed mentally. 'I don't want to lose the only Shitennou we have.' I focused on the four staring girls in front of me. "I got the Ginzuishou back a few days ago, once I realized where it had been since the battle with Beryl."

"Where?" Ami-chan asked. "I had assumed it was still somewhere in the Arctic."

I shook my head. "After we died, the Ginzuishou returned to the one place that would allow it to regain its former strength- the Moon. It was elementary to deduce that it would have gone to my mother's care."

"How did you get there?" Mako-chan wondered. "We've only teleported together."

I glanced cautiously at Kunzite and gave a faint sigh of relief when I noticed Mamo-chan was in front of him. "Kunzite teleported both of us there once I told him what I had realized."

"KUNZITE?!?!?!" Three voices demanded in perfect unison. If I hadn't known better, I would've sworn it was choreographed.

I waved my hand and their henshin wands flew to me even as they reached for them. "You're not allowed to hurt him."

"Usagi-chan," Rei-chan began through gritted teeth, "that man was very nearly the death of us many times over. He is the one that kidnapped Mamoru-san in Starlight Tower and the same one that assaulted poor Luna and Artemis in the tunnels."

Tunnels? I rummaged through the false memories I had retained of what was supposed to have occurred during our battle with the Dark Kingdom until I realized what she meant. Kunzite looked a bit bewildered as well. "He has been purified by the Ginzuishou and poses no threat to any of us."

"How is he alive?" Minako-chan questioned. She only seemed curious, not angry or worried. Her natural instinct to trust him was shining through.

"He was reborn in much the same fashion as we were," I ad-libbed, choosing not to mention that it was exactly the same or that he had not died until we had. "When no one else was available to protect me, the debt he owed me came due and he defended me. He is also a sworn defender of Prince Endymion. He won't hurt us."

He stepped forward even as his civilian clothes blurred and changed to the blue uniform of the Golden Kingdom. He bowed, every inch a calm and dignified nobleman. "Greetings and well wishes, princesses of the inner planets, Guardian Senshi to the Princess of the Moon," he stated in the manner of the royal courts of the Silver Millennium.

Rei and Makoto both moved as if to tackle him, but Minako-chan stepped in the way. "No…" she murmured. "No, he's not our enemy. He feels… clean. He loves."

I forced back the urge to laugh at Minako recognizing his safe state by the capacity to love, though I certainly considered it a fair condition. I could not make a sweeping generalization, but none of our enemies had shown any real love. Beryl, for all her claims to love Endymion, had been obsessed and lustful. She had not loved him. "Lord Kunzite did not intend to betray us at the fall of the Silver Millennium. He was tricked and cruelly tortured, and I feel that we would all do well to bear him no ill will for a moment of weakness."

Mamo-chan nodded. "I too can feel the lack of darkness," he told them coolly. "Only the golden light of Earth's magic is in his."

'And a touch of Venus' gold,' I snickered mentally as I broadcast the thought to him. 'She's already begun to remember.'

Minako-chan was nodding slowly. "He's a friend," she confirmed. "Ami-chan, you can scan him if you want. You won't find any negative energy."

Ami-chan let her Mercury Computer fall into her hand and opened it, rapidly tapping buttons. Twisting her earring, the visor formed across her eyes. "The way he looks now is his natural state," she began. "The energy scans are not finding any traces of Dark Kingdom power. The strongest reading carries a heavy resemblance to Mamoru-san's magic. There's a secondary level, but the computer isn't giving the information in Japanese. I can't read it."

I glanced at it over her shoulder. Serenity's mind roused enough for me to understand it. "It's Mercurian. You haven't fully awakened your past self, so you can't read it. It's nothing to worry about, though. They are minor details, private."

"I can't feel any ill intent," Rei admitted grudgingly. "He seems genuine. Can you get on with the story?" She proceeded to ignore him.

I shrugged. "When we arrived, I spoke with my mother and she returned the Ginzuishou and also gave me a new weapon, the Moon Scepter. It's more powerful than the Crescent Moon Wand. Unfortunately, the Ginzuishou still hasn't regained its full powers since we defeated Beryl, so it went into my broach, where it can be safe."

Mamo-chan picked up the narrative. "After they returned from the Moon, they came to see me. Kunzite was here to discover why I had not been becoming Tuxedo Kamen or demonstrating any power. We determined the problem, and Usako used the Ginzuishou to undo it. My powers are fully recovered, and I'll be available to help you in the fights again. Kunzite has taken up his position as my guardian, though I'll still act as Sailor Moon's protector."

"What about the rest of them?" Mako-chan pushed. "Where are they?"

"They died, Mako-chan," I sighed. It was a somewhat sore issue for me. I couldn't help but blame myself for their not surviving, and I wanted Mamo-chan to have his friends back too. "They have not been reborn as of yet, and I don't know if they will be. We intend to look into matters further when we have more time. Now, however, the focus has to be on dealing with Ali and En. I didn't want to tip my cards so early, which is why I didn't use my new powers in our fight earlier; I'm sorry for worrying you, but I need them to underestimate me as long as possible to give the Ginzuishou time to recover."

Mamo-chan put his arm on my shoulder. "Usako and I haven't made any sort of public announcement regarding our relationship in order to deal with a pair of… hm, how would you describe them?"

"Obnoxious pests?" I suggested. "Ami-chan, you know Ginga Seijuro and Natsumi, right? They just transferred to our school."

She nodded. "I had noticed that Natsumi-san seemed rather interested in Mamoru-san, but I didn't want to say anything to upset you."

"Yes, she's trying to get his attention," I grimaced. "Her brother also seems determined to become my stalker as well, which can be a bit of a problem when you consider what we do. The last thing I need is someone to catch me henshining or something, _especially_ someone like him. I don't trust either of them any more than I would trust Beryl herself."

"I haven't seen them," Rei mused. "I'll see if we can cross paths and I'll let you know if I find out anything.

Kunzite had taken a position next to Minako-chan on the couch. She kept looking up at him under her eyelashes and edging just a teensy bit closer. He seemed a bit uncomfortable, hardly surprising considering she was his mate and simply didn't remember that rather important detail. "I, too, have noticed that both seem overly interested in the Prince and Princess, and that it borders on obsession. It would be best to keep them separated as often as possible."

Minako nodded, finally refocusing on the discussion. "We'll work on keeping Seijuro from Usagi-chan as much as possible. You'll have to watch out for Mamoru-san, since you can go where he does more easily. Would it be possible for you to join him at school?"

"She hasn't approached me at school!" Mamo-chan protested. He wasn't used to that sort of invasion into his life. Poor dear would take a while to adjust to having a guard.

"Mamo-chan, she already stalks you. Given that your schedule goes into the evenings where ours don't, it is possible that she'll try at some point," I told him as gently as possible. "Kunzite just wants to keep you safe."

"I still need my own life," he argued. "I can handle myself."

The Senshi exchanged smirks. "This is kind of funny," Mako-chan laughed. "Usagi-chan always complained about us shadowing her, and now you get to go through the same thing."

Rei nodded. "Sorry," she snickered, "but it goes with the territory when you have a guard. He has to be with you to guard you."

Ami-chan tapped her fingers a little restlessly. "This all seems rather extreme."

"It's not," Mako-chan corrected. "Those two really have been chasing after Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san too much; it's getting dangerous for us. They aren't the type you would trust with a secret this huge."

I agreed. "Natsumi tends to be more obvious about following Mamo-chan, but her brother is sneaky about it. If I have to henshin on the run or something, he may end up seeing me. Natsumi-san has been escalating though; she may end up putting Mamo-chan in a similar position."

"I still don't see why I need to be followed," Mamo-chan grumbled.

Kunzite gave him a stern look. "It is for your own protection, Your Highness." Mamo-chan made a face at the title. "Do you want to risk exposing the Princess and the other Senshi because you refused to accept a guard?" Kunzite asked, trying a different tactic.

That one actually had an effect, since he raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, you win. I'll have a bodyguard. Kunzite looks too old to go to school with me though. Don't you have a life of your own to live?"

"My businesses run well enough without my attention," the leader of the Shitennou replied easily. "As for my appearance, I can modify it to suit your age group and join your classes. It is a simple enough task."

Mamo-chan ran his hands through his hair. "It'll be really hard to explain this one to Motoki-kun."

"Believe it or not," I said drily, "Motoki-onii-san is aware that you are capable of making friends. He may be a bit surprised, but he won't press for details."

Minako-chan interrupted before Mamoru could argue. "Okay, that's settled then. We'll watch over Usagi-chan and Kunzite can take care of Mamoru-san. Now maybe we should go home? I don't know about the rest of you, but I have homework. Can we have our henshin wands back?"

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I was walking home when Minako cornered me. "What's up?"

I looked at her, confused. "We just spoke a little while ago. Nothing's changed since then."

He seems…"

"Familiar?" I suggested knowingly. "Like you've met him before, and not as an enemy?"

"Yes," she agreed with a sharp nod. "Why?"

A sigh managed to slip past my lips before I could catch it. "Minako-chan, it's not my place to unlock your memories. I told you what you needed to know while we were at Mamo-chan's."

"Usagi!" the other girl protested loudly. "I know you know something and I know it's important! Please!"

I shook my head. "If you're meant to know, you'll remember on your own. Let it go, Mina."

"No," she said stubbornly. "Usagi-chan, this is really important to me. I need to know what's going on. I know you can help."

"I could," I snapped. "I could release the bonds on your memories. I could give you back all the pain that you went through in two lives. I don't want to. Minako-chan, you were miserable when you knew. Why would I want to make it happen again?"

"You know things we don't. You could be getting yourself into trouble again."

"Kunzite won't hurt me. I saved his life, now he protects me as much as he does Mamo-chan. There's nothing to fear from him."

She would have zoomed into the one statement I shouldn't have used. "Saved his life? You said he was reborn after you defeated Beryl."

"I lied," I growled. "He never died in those tunnels. I saved him, with the Ginzuishou. He survived with the rest of us until that day in the Arctic. He gave his life the same as you did. I won't betray things he chooses not to share."

"It has something to do with me though. I can feel it."

I groaned. She wasn't giving up, and she'd keep scratching at the cover in her mind until she broke through. It would hurt her if I didn't help. "Fine. Fine! You win, Minako-chan. I just want it known I'm doing this under protest."

I led the way to the hidden clearing of the park. I would have to use the Ginzuishou for this, and the last thing I needed was to be seen. I faced her in the center. I must've looked upset, because she suddenly seemed hesitant.

"I'm not trying to hurt you," she murmured. "I just want to understand."

"I know."

"You look so sad…"

"Our memories are rarely happy," I muttered. "I only wanted to spare you that pain." I looked straight at her. "Your memories of the battle with the Dark Kingdom were altered when we died, so that you would only remember what was supposed to have happened. I'm releasing the bonds, so you'll remember it as it actually occurred, though the false memories will remain."

The Moon Broach flipped open and the Ginzuishou shone. Luckily, removing memory blocks that lacked malicious purpose was easy, and required little power. I didn't even need to henshin. A single beam of silver shot forward and touched her forehead. Like when Luna had revived the Senshi, at first, a crescent marked her, but it changed to Venus' symbol a moment later. The lights died down, and a single tear ran down her cheek.

She began to fall, and I dashed forward to catch her. "Are you all right?"

"Kunzite…" she whispered. "He came as I was dying. He didn't want me to forgive him, but he held me as I died."

It really never seemed fair to me that our deaths were the first things we remembered. "He always loved you, Minako-chan. It's not his fault Beryl turned him. He fought, but he still blames himself. He can't forgive himself for hurting you so many times."

"I love him," she said with a teary smile. "Why were you keeping it from me?"

"The pain!" I nearly exploded. "You were so unhappy, Mina. I wanted to protect you. Adonis nearly ruined your life when you were only thirteen, and you carried that ache for so long. I didn't want you to have it any more."

She shook her head. "There's no pain if he's still here."

I blew out a breath. "You're really all right?"

She nodded slowly. "Of course. He's my soul mate, Usagi. I'm always all right if he's with me."

"He'll always be with you now," I reassured her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"It's fine," she replied as I helped her up. "I can understand why, even if I disagree."

I reached down the bond I had formed with Kunzite. I had forgotten the gem, but now that I had the Ginzuishou I didn't need it. 'Come to the clearing,' I whispered. 'I have a surprise for you.'

'I'll be there in a moment,' he answered immediately. I could feel his curiosity.

He teleported there, barely an arm's length from my side. He glanced at Minako, who still had tear tracks on her face, and was by her in an instant.

"Kunzite…" she murmured before throwing her arms around him. "I've missed you."

His arms tightened around her in surprise as he stared at me. "She was starting to understand, so I released the ties on her memory," I told him softly.

He pulled her closer, her head falling naturally into the curve of his neck. "I've missed you too, Mina. So much."

"Don't leave me," she whispered. "Please, don't leave me alone again."

"I won't," he swore. "I won't hurt you. Not like before."

She lifted her head to glare at him a little. "That wasn't your fault. I just don't want you to go." She curled into him again as I smiled.

A warm pair of arms wrapped themselves around my shoulders, and I leaned back against Mamo-chan. "That was a nice thing you did," he commented.

"I should've done it sooner," I contradicted. "She's been so lonely. I just didn't want her to get hurt."

"She understands that." He smiled against my hair. He had always had a strange fascination with it. "You should've seen the look on Kunzite's face when you called him. All childlike curiosity and wonder. She's the only one that really brings out that side of him."

"They're good for each other," I agreed. "Mamo-chan, I wish the other Shitennou were here. The girls still need them, even if they don't remember."

"Someday," he promised me. "We'll find a way, Usako. Eventually, we'll reunite them."

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AN: That sums up this part. Again, I hope to update in a few days. Like usual, I love reviews and whatever you have to say/suggest/criticize is welcome. Till next time!


	6. Injured, Getting Stronger

AN: I'm so sorry for how long this has taken! I've been having a really bad rash of migraines the past few weeks, and they kept me from writing for a long time. On top of that, I wasn't entirely sure on where to go with this next part, so it took me a while to figure out what to write. That's enough babbling from me though, please read and enjoy!

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Mamo-chan and I spent time alone in our clearing as often as possible, though I frequently used the time for practice as well. It was the one place we were safe from attacks and stalking classmates.

"Is that boy still following you?" he asked me as he lobbed a rose at the target he was using.

"A few times," I admitted. "The Senshi keep him away as much as they can. What about Natsumi?"

He grimaced. "She actually _did_ try to come by while I was in class. Kunzite chased her off."

"I told you a guard was a good idea," I giggled. "How is he getting along with Motoki-onii-san?"

"Motoki accepted him in a heartbeat and said it was about time I had more friends," Mamo-chan grumbled. "I would have thought someone would have at least found him odd."

"He knows how to blend in," I reminded him. "He's been living a human life since we fought Beryl. What was his name?"

"He's been going by Takeda Keiji. He said it was really annoying to have two names, even if he used his normal one before he ever remembered being Kunzite. He really prefers using that instead."

"I don't think I could ever remember to call him that," I mused. "He's never corrected me, even while we were in civilian form."

"He wouldn't," Mamo-chan sighed. "He never corrects me either, and it's made things a bit odd a few times. I've known him as Kunzite for so long that it just seems wrong."

"Someday the secrecy won't be necessary," I hoped. "Maybe someday we can be who we truly are without having to hide."

"Maybe," he agreed. "I think that would be nice. It's difficult to lead a double life. I can't imagine how you do it, since you have so many people in yours."

I shrugged. "I try to avoid lying unless I have to, I guess. I tell half-truths if I can get away with it. It's hard, knowing I'm deceiving people I love." I waved my Scepter at my target, but my heart wasn't in it. "I'm tired of having to pretend to be something I'm not."

"You don't hide your intelligence now," he noted. "Your parents must be glad your grades went up."

"I guess," I muttered. "Sometimes I feel like I barely know them, I'm so caught up in everything that requires the Senshi. I begin to feel like my human life is a dream."

"I feel the same way sometimes," he admitted. "I come alive when I'm with you, but any other time it doesn't seem real. The only time I can remember feeling like that…"

"Well?" I prompted when he stopped. "What was it?"

"I was at a masque…" he began. "I thought I'd find the Ginzuishou there, but there was this girl. She reminded me of you, I guess. I was drawn to her, and we danced."

I couldn't help but start laughing. "Mamo-chan…" I choked out. "You really don't know who that was?"

He stared at me, surprised. "What are you talking about?"

"Mamo-chan, Sailor Moon put in an appearance that night," I explained through giggles. "That girl was me. I was disguised." I held up the Luna Pen as proof.

He looked so shocked I could barely believe it. "It couldn't have been!" he protested. "I would've recognized you."

I sighed. "True or false: you still felt the urge to protect the girl when she, say… fell off a balcony?"

He thought about it, and I saw the moment it finally clicked. "You _really_ were that girl?!"

I shook my head. "Mamo-chan, if you suspected the Ginzuishou was there, why would you think we didn't guess the same thing? I used the Luna Pen to sneak in and check it out. It's a good thing, too, considering what Nephrite did to Naru-chan and the Princess."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm a dunce; I should've realized that ages ago. Why didn't you tell me?"

"You never asked."

We both laughed as I snuggled in for a hug. Which life felt real hardly mattered when we were together. _That_ was what really counted.

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For a while, events were hardly worth remarking on, save in poor choice of target. The Cardians that appeared were quickly dispatched as the Senshi rediscovered the powers that had returned to dormancy in the absence of their proper memories, as well as finding a few more minor abilities. I knew it was the lesser ones that were meant to appear in this time, but it hardly mattered. Poor Rei-chan's festival was nearly ruined by one of them, which rather aggravated me, and another rather noteworthy attack involved stealing energy from kindergarteners. Later, it was babies. They were getting desperate.

Attacks had been escalating, in both range of targets and in frequency. Whatever it was the aliens were expecting didn't seem to be working. For the moment, though, things seemed to have quieted a little. There hadn't been another Cardian the past two days where there had previously been at least one a day, and we wondered if they had finally moved on or something. Ami-chan didn't like the idea, saying it was silly to think they would just take off after putting so much effort into whatever they were doing. Kunzite agreed with her.

We were still in the middle of the meeting, but I sat back to think. After a moment, I realized I had snuggled up against Mamo-chan without noticing, but I shrugged it off and turned back to the issues at hand.

First, they had only been after energy as far as I knew. There hadn't been any other goal that I had noticed, except perhaps to try to eliminate the Senshi and I in the same stroke. Typically, that would rule out a 'take-over-the-world' type venture, since there had been no move to topple governments or create chaos. Energy was the priority.

What was it for? Here, I hit a bump. I didn't know enough about Ali and En to understand what they needed the energy for, or if it was even just a whim. We really didn't know anything about them. Where they were from, what their purpose was, everything was a mystery. I made a mental note to try to follow one of them if I could.

I figured I had gone through the scant amount of information we had on them already, so I turned my attention back to the others. Kunzite was being very quiet, even more so than usual. He had suspicions and wasn't sharing. My second mental note was devoted to prying.

Rei-chan and Mako-chan were arguing over purpose, though some of their theories seemed rather far fetched. Ami-chan too wasn't saying much, but she was on her computer, which more than explained her silence. Minako-chan had started talking to Kunzite, and neither of them seemed interested in sharing, which led me to believe he had told her and they had decided not to tell the rest of us.

I guess I fell asleep against Mamo-chan, since when I opened my eyes again no one else was around. He was playing with the ends of my hair while reading one of his countless textbooks. I tried to sit up, but he just pinned me against his side without glancing up.

"Leaving so soon?" he asked softly.

I shook my head. "I was going to get something to drink, actually. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's fine," he reassured me easily. "I guess it made everyone realize just how tired we all were, so they went home. The exhaustion from all the fighting is catching up to us."

"Maybe that's why they're waiting," I murmured as he finally let me up. I headed into the kitchen and began making cocoa. "They want us to feel how tired we are so we're slower to react to the next attack."

He sighed and set down his book. "Usako, stop thinking about that for ten minutes. You haven't relaxed since Ali and En appeared, and you're just going to wear yourself out before we can defeat them."

I shrugged. "I learned responsibility, I guess. As the head of the Senshi it's my job to consider these things instead of relying on Ami-chan or Luna."

"They don't mind it if you rely on them, Usa. That's part of what holds you together. Let Ami-chan do what she's best at and find the information you need. For a little while, just focus on your life. Enjoy the break while we have it."

I nodded reluctantly. "You're probably right. All this worrying won't do me any good if I fall asleep in the middle of a meeting. I wanted to pester Minako-chan and Kunzite, too."

"About whatever it is they know or suspect and aren't sharing?" he guessed. "I noticed that too, but I wasn't going to do it while you were sleeping."

"I'll corner one of them eventually," I muttered.

He mock-frowned at me. "Let it go for the moment, Usako. You're supposed to be relaxing, remember?"

"Yeah, yeah," I waved him off. "I'll be fine; you worry about me too much. I'm not completely helpless, you know."

"I know," he murmured, wrapping his arms around my waist as I measured the cocoa into the mugs. "Believe me, I see it everyday. You don't need me like you used to. You could do this without Tuxedo Kamen."

I shook my head immediately. "I could never do this without you," I countered. "You're the encouragement to keep me going, the ray of light when I think all I can see is darkness. You're the reason I can still fight after everything we've gone through."

I could feel him smile against my hair while I added the hot water. "Thanks. That meant a lot to me."

I rolled my eyes at him playfully. "So insecure," I teased. "Who'd have thought a girl could reduce the great Chiba Mamoru to this?"

Mamo-chan growled faintly as I handed him his drink. "I'm not insecure."

I let my smile soften. "Hey, it's fine. We're all insecure from time to time; it's perfectly normal. You just have to remember I'll always need you, regardless of how strong or powerful I become."

We curled up on the couch and Mamo-chan flipped on one of my favorite movies. He hated it, actually, but he didn't mind letting me enjoy myself. Even when I protested he would only say that he liked making me smile, and he wasn't going to pay attention to the television anyway if I was there.

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Haruna-sensei was in an awful mood in class the next day, snapping at anything and everything. I was starving, since Shingo had decided to lock me out of the bathroom for the better part of the morning, causing me to miss breakfast. A few seats away, Natsumi looked absolutely exhausted. Though I didn't like the girl, I wondered if she was feeling alright.

We were working on an English reading in class, with Haruna-sensei patrolling the room with a vicious expression when I finally caved. I was too hungry to resist, so I pulled out my obento and began eating quietly behind my book, hoping she wouldn't notice. I hadn't merited a detention in some time, due to my much improved grades and good attendance, but she hadn't stopped looking for ways to get me into trouble whenever one of her dates were messed up. Judging by her poor temperament today was one of those days, but I needed to eat something. The lack of attacks over the past few days were making me cautious, so I expected one at any time, and I couldn't risk running out of energy when I was the one that had to destroy the Cardians most of the time.

I had barely managed a couple bites of rice before Haruna-sensei targeted me. Without even allowing for a chance to apologize or explain, I was immediately given a detention. I slumped back, miserable. I would get hell for it from the other Senshi if I was late for the meeting, even after all the improvement I had shown. I know that it was Rei-chan's way to get me to do my best, but it didn't make it any easier to take when she was yelling at me.

Once Haruna-sensei was done trying to embarrass me in front of the entire class, she turned to Natsumi and asked her to translate the next paragraph of the exercise. Natsumi glanced at the page and let out a string of gibberish that had everyone in the room staring at her.

It took Haruna-sensei a few minutes to find her tongue, but once she had, Natsumi was slapped with a detention as well. I barely hid my dislike over having to spend so long in her company, since the two of us had showed no signs of ever getting along. It wasn't surprising, given that she was after my Mamo-chan, but it was pretty unusual for someone to rub me so badly. I frowned, trying to figure out why I would have such a strong reaction to a person that had done nothing more than annoy me.

I had a number of half-formed suspicions as I dragged Natsumi away from her brother so we could start our detentions, but I decided to push them aside and focus on the work so I could leave as quickly as possible. Haruna-sensei handed us both the worksheet before stalking out when an office aide told her she had a phone call in the main office.

Natsumi made a suggestion to turn the assignment into a race, with Mamo-chan as the stakes. I firmly bit back the urge to call her a series of nasty names and to declare loudly that he was _my_ Mamo-chan, and that she had no business going near him anyway. I shrugged and allowed it, knowing she was in no shape to even pose a challenge for me. I could see her exhaustion as clear as day on her features, and I was pretty fresh now that I'd eaten properly.

The worksheet itself was pretty simple, but I kept getting distracted. At one point I bent over to pick up the eraser I had dropped and Natsumi crashed into my desk, knocking it over. She claimed she had been stretching and tripped. I didn't believe her, but I let it drop, preferring to turn my attention back to the work. At another point, I stretched my arms back behind my head and somehow she was behind me and my pencil hit her in the nose. I rolled my eyes as soon as she had returned to her desk and couldn't see me, and a quick glance at her worksheet revealed that she had only done the first two questions, while I was nearly finished. She didn't stand a chance.

The next thing I became aware of as I surfaced from the assignment was screaming outside the school. I moved to the window immediately to see what was going on, in time to see a huge stream of fiery rings aimed at another Cardian. This one seemed like it wasn't listening to Ali, since he was shouting at it and seemed frustrated. Oddly enough, I noted that En wasn't there.

I suddenly felt so tired that I collapsed, losing consciousness. Even as my eyes closed, my instincts kicked in and I whispered out to Mamo-chan. Just his name, nothing fancy, but as I became aware again he and Kunzite were at my side. Judging by the glow around Kunzite's hands, he had given me some energy to revive me. I sat up abruptly and Mamo-chan jumped. Tuxedo Kamen-sama, rather- he was henshined, and the sounds outside told me the battle was continuing. There was no sign of Natsumi in the room, so I guessed she had ran after whatever had happened to me.

"Are you all right?" Tuxedo Kamen-sama demanded, watching me worriedly.

I stood carefully and stretched, making sure everything was working. "I think so," I answered. "I don't know what happened though. I saw the battle out the window and was about to make excuses to Natsumi so I could join you, and next I know I'm exhausted and fainting. That's all I remember before you got here."

My communicator beeped, and I flipped it out immediately. "Usagi, get out here now!" Mars barked. "This sucker is nasty, and all our powers combined haven't even hurt it! We need you and your Scepter, pronto!"

"Got it," I responded. "Be there in a second, Mars, but be careful please."

"You shouldn't go!" Tuxedo Kamen-sama immediately protested. "You were just unconscious a matter of moments ago!"

I shook my head. "You know I have to; it's my responsibility. I'm fine now, and I can't leave them out there when the Cardian is winning."

"En has appeared," Kunzite informed us as he gazed out the window.

I lifted my broach. "MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE-UP!"

The typical sparkling and ribbons ensued until I was finally ready. I ran out of the room as quickly as I could, with the other two right at my heels. Kunzite's fingers were crooked, probably prepared to throw out a defensive shield if anything came at us before I was ready.

I swung out into the open and immediately had to duck an attack by the Cardian. Not only was this one not listening to Ali or En, but it seemed to be smarter than usual as well, which could only mean trouble. Even as I raised my Scepter to attack, I wavered as my vision crossed and my knees shook, threatening to topple me over. Everyone turned to me.

Before any of my protectors could react, the Cardian had grabbed me by the throat and threw me into the side of the school building. I screamed as I barreled through the wall, bits of glass and metal embedding themselves into my back and whatever skin it could reach.

Mamo-chan was at my side in an instant, helping me up and holding me steady so I could attack. I held the Scepter in a loose grasp, the other hand gripping his arm so tightly my knuckles had turned white as I forced myself to remain upright through the pain and exhaustion.

I spun into an attack as quickly as I could, in an effort to defeat the Cardian before I took any more damage. "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"

Ali and En disappeared as the blackened card fell to the ground. Focusing, I regained my balance and forced the pain from my mind so I could pretend to my friends that I was fine. I needed to finish that stupid worksheet anyway.

It took a little convincing, but the other Senshi reluctantly left, as did Mamo-chan. I headed back inside and made excuses to Natsumi about having gone to the restroom before returning my attention to the worksheet.

Somehow, though she had only had a few done before the screaming had started, as I finished she did as well. I couldn't understand how it was possible, even as my injury had slowed me. Yes, I had been working more slowly than previously, but it had still taken me only two minutes to complete the remainder of the assignment. It shouldn't have been possible for her to catch up so quickly.

She made some comment about it being a tie and no one having to give up on Mamo-chan yet, but I ignored her and collected my things, walking out of the school with a stiff spine.

Since I had already de-henshined, the exhaustion and pain rapidly caught up with me as I began to make my way home. I heard someone gasp behind me as I sank to my knees and soft sobs came from my mouth unwillingly. I was beginning to hover between consciousness and a faint, so it took me a moment to realize who it was.

I guess Kunzite had chosen to remain in order to watch out for me once he had seen Mamo-chan home safely. I should've known that he wouldn't have been fooled as easily; he scooped me up and in an instant he was dressed in the Shitennou's garb once more.

"Hold tight," he directed in a low voice. He teleported, bringing both of us to Mamo-chan's apartment. He set me on my stomach on the bed as Mamo-chan raced in, crying out in shock when he saw the blood that had seeped through my uniform top.

"You have to heal her," Kunzite snapped as soon as my poor Mamo-chan entered the room. "Find your power and help her, or we may have to take her to a hospital."

"We can't!" Mamo-chan protested. "None of us can; we'd show up as too different on any tests!"

"Then help her!" Kunzite growled. "Find Endymion's power and use it. You can heal yourself since she returned Endymion's spirit to you; now remember how to channel it to another!"

"I don't know how!"

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The next thing I saw was sunlight streaming through a window. Since it had been early evening when Kunzite had brought me here, I had to assume I had at the very least slept through the night. Mamo-chan was slumped in a chair at the side of the bed, looking worn out.

His eyes opened as soon as I began to move, and he was next to me in a heartbeat, making me lay back down. I grumbled at him, but complied, allowing him to examine my back. He breathed out a sigh of relief and sank back into his chair.

"Are you all right?" I asked as I sat up carefully. "You look exhausted."

He offered me a wan smile. "I'm not really used to using a lot of magic."

"So you figured out how to heal me?"

He nodded slowly. "It was difficult," he muttered, tunneling his hands through his hair. "I was scared I wouldn't be fast enough and you'd get worse."

"What happened?" I pressed when he paused.

He held out his hand and I took it without hesitation. "It's a bit hard to explain, really."

"Endymion helped you," I guessed.

He nodded before a stream of golden light shifted around him. He wavered and became the Earth Prince in full regalia, looking very out of place in Mamo-chan's apartment.

"Endymion-sama," I said with a smile.

He inclined his head regally. "Is Serenity…?" he began hopefully.

I shook my head. "The Ginzuishou is still pretty weak, so she is too. She's resting."

He sighed, and I noticed his fingers were absently caressing mine. "I can explain what occurred last night, if you wish."

"That would be nice," I answered.

I felt the link between us open, allowing me to slip into his mind and memories. As my vision cleared, I seemed to be standing in a corner of Mamo-chan's room, looking at his and Kunzite's backs as Kunzite ordered him to heal me.

Endymion was standing at my side, watching as well. "Your Mamoru reached out to the magic, but he didn't understand how to use it or what to do with it- he never used more than instinctive abilities before this point. Since he didn't understand, I helped him."

Even as I watched, a ghostly image of Endymion appeared at Mamo-chan's side. I assumed Kunzite couldn't see him, since he didn't react at all, and I could see the ghost whispering into Mamo-chan's ear as he nodded slowly.

The bright golden glow that signified Mamo-chan's power sprang into being around his hands before strengthening and surrounding him completely. He reached for me as Endymion continued to murmur instructions and placed his hands on my back. I twitched, but Kunzite held me still so Mamo-chan could concentrate on the work. It was more than a little disturbing to watch my skin knitting itself together as the bleeding stopped and pieces of debris came out of my back.

Endymion watched the scene with a passive eye. "I'll continue to assist him with his powers, as long as Kunzite is around to bolster my own energy. Without the Golden Crystal I would typically be too weak to surface save for in times of crisis, but he gives me enough power to function."

"So it's a good thing I messed everything up royally?"

He laughed, and the first genuine smile I had seen on Endymion's face since our deaths lit up his eyes. "It depends on what you call 'messed up,' I think. I believe in the end it was to our benefit that the course of our path was altered, in that you saved Kunzite, thus increasing your allies, and reunited him with Venus. If it leads to love and happiness, it cannot be a bad thing."

I smiled at him. "Thank you for your help, Endymion-sama. I really appreciate it."

"It's nothing," he muttered. We vanished from his memories, returning to the present. "You'll have to rest for another day or so- whatever happened at your school drained you significantly, and it's going to take time for you to regenerate properly with the Ginzuishou so weak."

I nodded. "I'll be careful. Thanks."

His form shimmered and turned back to Mamo-chan, who sank back against his seat. I could see circles forming under his eyes from exhaustion.

"I don't know how you stand sharing with Serenity," he said with a gasp. "I feel so tired."

I shrugged. "You get used to it after a while, I guess, and I've never become Serenity without being on the Moon or having the Ginzuishou, which makes it easier. You normally only become Endymion if Serenity surfaces, and you don't have the Golden Crystal, so it was harder for you."

Mamo-chan smiled a little. "I have a newfound appreciation for why exactly you tend to avoid becoming Serenity unless it's really important."

"Is Kunzite coming back today?" I asked, watching him worriedly.

He nodded. "He said something about checking on us, but I thought it was you that needed to be taken care of."

I rolled my eyes. "You overdrew your power without any training, Mamo-chan, leaving you with a fraction of your normal strength. Kunzite carries Golden Crystal power too, so I'd assume he's going to transfer some of his to you so that you don't end up stuck in bed for a week recuperating."

As if summoned by his name, I heard knocking at the door and felt Kunzite's presence. Mamo-chan slowly got up to let in our friend, and I could see from Kunzite's expression that he was well aware of what had exhausted his prince.

"I warned you to be careful today, Endymion," Kunzite chided as he pushed Mamo-chan back into his chair.

"Mamoru," both of us corrected simultaneously.

Kunzite nodded distractedly. "Yes, yes. Has anything else happened since I left last night? His energy levels are lower than they should be."

"Endymion put in an appearance when I woke up this morning," I explained, "and he showed me what happened while I was unconscious. That's why he's so tired."

The Shitennou made some disapproving sound as he shifted to his more magical state and removed his gloves. He focused for a moment, bringing a rich golden light into being across his skin. He took one of Mamo-chan's hands and I watched as the glow spread between the two of them, shifting to a slightly different tone as it touched Mamo-chan, brightening and strengthening.

Mamo-chan looked much better once Kunzite had done so. Kunzite himself seemed no worse for wear, probably due to how often he would have done the same thing in the past. He turned to me. "May I see your injuries, Usagi-hime?"

"Mamo-chan already checked them!" I protested.

"Perhaps, but he has not regained full knowledge of healing. Though I cannot treat it myself, I know what to look for." His tone brooked no argument.

Reluctantly, I flipped over again so he could evaluate how well I was healing. Mamo-chan twitched a little, possibly a touch jealous of any other man seeing me, but he shook it off quickly enough. Kunzite ran a quickly appraising eye over the wounds before nodding in satisfaction.

"You're healing nicely," he told me. "You'll need to stay in bed a while longer, but if an emergency arises you'll be able to fight. You two should stay here; I'll prepare a meal." Mamo-chan moved to help him, but Kunzite cut him off. "No, you're supposed to rest too, my Prince. In fact, it would be wise if both of you remained here for the next twenty-four hours."

I guess Mamo-chan was still too tired to argue with him, since he actually listened and sat back down. Even as the Shitennou left the room, his head was already nodding and a matter of seconds later he was asleep.

I had been out all night, so I wasn't too tired, and I was never the sort to tolerate bed rest well. I needed something to do. Making sure I wouldn't draw Kunzite's attention, I carefully pulled on one of Mamo-chan's old T-shirts and slipped into the living room to grab my school bag. If I had to spend all day being watched by a pair of overprotective men, I could at least get my homework done so I wouldn't get detention on Monday. It never really occurred to me just how odd that was. It would've given the Senshi a collective heart attack.

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AN: Again, I apologize for the massive delay and can only repeat that migraines make it really hard to focus. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. There should be around two more before the end, but I can't say for certain. Please, review! I take questions comments, suggestions, anything! Till next time!


	7. Hell Tree

AN: Yay, new chapter time! There will probably only be one more in this story. I'm considering doing another one after this, same timeline, because one reviewer asked me how things would go when Chibiusa turned up and Usagi already knew who she was, so if I get enough positive feedback I'll start that once this is finished. I'm sorry for the delay, but I had midterms last week, and they took away from my writing time. Now, I'm done babbling for the moment, so go read!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Sailor Moon.

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It turned out I didn't have to worry. School was closed for several days following the battle to do repairs, most notably the giant hole I had left in the wall when the Cardian hurled me through it.

I was off bed rest, but I was bored. Mamo-chan was under Kunzite's close attention for a while longer, leaving me on my own. My parents had taken my brother out of town for a few days to visit some family, but my mom had told me to stay home since she could tell I was exhausted. Sometimes I wondered just how much my mother knew, but I never asked.

The Senshi were training in our clearing at the moment. I had been there for a short time, but I couldn't train yet without risking all my friends' wrath, so I had wandered off again. I stared into a shop window, wishing I could go on a date with Mamo-chan.

Seijuro-san showed up a moment later. He offered to get something to eat with me, and I was just bored enough to accept, even knowing that he had been borderline stalking me since he came to town.

We went to some café and I got a crepe. Seijuro tried making conversation. I know he thought of this as a date, but I couldn't bring myself to correct him.

"I never expected to run into you here," he commented as I took a big bite. While I had recovered for the most part, my appetite was still higher than usual, so I was starved.

"Me, either," I answered around a mouthful of pastry.

"There are so many people here, and we happened to chance upon each other. It must be a miracle."

Not bloody likely, considering how often he followed me. "That's right."

"Hey, can you leave my arm alone?" Mamo-chan?

"Mamoru-san, I didn't think you were so modest."

Seijuro and I turned to look. It _was_ Mamo-chan, and Natsumi-san was clinging to him like a leech. I briefly wondered how he had evaded Kunzite before glaring at Natsumi for daring to touch my Mamo-chan.

"Mamoru-san!" I protested, taking care to address him more formally than I typically would since we were in public.

"Natsumi!" Seijuro exclaimed, getting to his feet.

They both turned to face us. "Oh, it's you, Odango Atama."

"Onii-sama, I didn't know you had a date with Tsukino-san," Natsumi said darkly. Mamo-chan and I both cringed at the term date, but his was next to nonexistent to the inexperienced eye. "I thought you were going to the library today!" She got really scary really quickly.

"You said you were going to study at a friend's house!" Seijuro countered as Mamo-chan and I looked on in bewilderment. Natsumi blushed vividly, as if she had suddenly developed a high fever. Mamo-chan and I silently agreed to slip off so we could talk elsewhere. The Senshi would have already left training by this point, so I brushed across his mind to point him in that direction. He nodded imperceptibly and exited first.

I followed as quickly as I could, watching Seijuro chase off after his sister for a moment before joining my boyfriend.

"Aren't you supposed to be under house arrest?" I asked him as I stepped through the barrier. "How did you give Kunzite the slip?"

"I didn't, actually," he explained. "He finally relented to let me out of my apartment for a few hours. I wasn't supposed to do anything strenuous, which is why I couldn't get away from Natsumi-san. What about Seijuro?"

I grimaced. "I was really bored since everyone else was here training and I'm still on limited duty. Besides, he offered me food and I was starving, Mamo-chan!"

He laughed before offering me an éclair from his subspace pocket. "I stopped by a bakery before Natsumi cornered me in the bookstore. I figured if I ran into you you'd need food."

I took it and gulped it down in moments. "School's reopening tomorrow so I should have a little more to occupy myself with when I can't be with the rest of you. Natsumi was scary today though!"

Mamo-chan nodded. "I didn't expect her to become quite so venomous at the possibility of you dating her brother. I really don't understand why she seems to dislike you so much."

I moped a little. "I don't like it when people don't like me. I mean, if it was something I had done, I might understand, but she doesn't like me just because you and I have a thing."

"A thing?" he repeated with a chuckle. "Is that how you describe this?"

Hardly," I snorted. "That's just how it appears to people that aren't involved in our extracurricular activities. I mean, outside the Senshi and Kunzite, no one knows we're actually a couple."

He offered me a rose, smirking. "You have an odd way of putting things today. I think your Odango-ness is showing."

I frowned at him but still reached for the flower. "Are you saying I'm acting like a ditz again?"

He considered for a moment. "Not exactly, but it's still there. Sometimes it's hard to remember how differently you acted before. I mean, you're definitely intelligent, and your mannerisms changed as Serenity became stronger in you, but sometimes you can still be a bit of an airhead."

I shrugged it off. "Serenity was too; she was just better at hiding it. I can deal with that part of myself." I glanced at my watch. "I need to go though, Mama said they would be getting home at about 5 and I need to clean up a little before then."

He took a peek at it and grimaced. "I need to go too or Kunzite will murder me and then put me on bed rest even _longer_. I'll see you tomorrow, Usako."

I reached for him, and we kissed. It wasn't particularly wrong or special, but in a way it still was as new as it had been when we were Serenity and Endymion meeting for the first time, and I loved that feeling. Pulling away, I patted his cheek with a smile. "See you tomorrow, Mamo-chan."

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I had seen Mamo-chan before school, but he had classes after I finished mine, so I was on my own again for the afternoon. This time Luna joined me as I wandered around Juuban.

"A Sailor Moon Show!" I grinned, seeing the huge sign advertising. This was an unexpected perk, and a welcome diversion. Luna gazed up at it as well. As I giggled, she stared at me. "I'm such a celebrity now!"

"It's probably just a comedy show anyway," my advisor drawled.

"Luna!" I admonished as she looked away.

I heard my speech going in the background, and I looked at the stage to see an actress dressed in a Senshi's fuku but wearing some sort of giant mask of my head. It looked pretty ridiculous. The crowd recited the last line with her. I wondered if I should be disturbed at how bad it sounded until I spotted Naru-chan and Umino near the front.

The sky went dark overhead, and everyone's eyes were drawn to what appeared to be a monster with several faces. My hand flashed to my broach, but I couldn't henshin around so many people, and it was most definitely a Cardian.

"Yamandakka!" it announced. Lovely, another one that only had the capacity to say its name and nothing at all informative. The dumb-looking actors of Tuxedo Kamen-sama and I just stared at it. "Yamandakka!" it repeated, pink flower petals flying from its hands. As they hit people, they collapsed, energy draining away. "Yamandakka, yamandakka, yamandakka, yamandakka, yamandakka!" It vanished, the sky cleared up, and all that was left were the unconscious people lying on the ground. Luna and I ran in, but there was nothing to be done.

"Unlike before, almost all of her energy has been taken!" Luna informed me as she checked one of the victims.

"Oh, they got Naru-chan again!" I cried. Why was it always her?

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"Umino-kun, Osaka-san, and Ginga-san are absent today?" Haruna-sensei asked as she took attendance the next morning. I knew Umino and Naru-chan were in the hospital as a result of the Cardian's attack, but I had seen everyone after and Natsumi-san and her brother hadn't been among the victims. Curious.

"Her brother, Ginga Seijuro, is apparently also absent," I informed my teacher quickly. I had checked for him carefully upon arriving at school in an effort to avoid him, but if it told the teacher anything it might give us information as to why the siblings were missing class.

"Oh, how did you know, Tsukino-san?"

Lie, Usagi. I laughed a bit falsely. "Well, I have this information network." As in among other things, I had asked Ami-chan to scan the school with her Mercury Computer.

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"Why do we have to go see them with you?" Mako-chan asked after school. What she meant was more along the lines of 'why are you voluntarily going near a pair of stalkers', but I answered anyway.

"Calm down. It's one of those social things, you know?" I was walking backwards in front of her and Ami-chan so I could see them.

"By the way, are Naru-chan and Umino-kun okay?" Ami asked, ever the concerned friend.

"Yeah, but they had so much of their energy taken this time that it looks like it'll take a while for them to recover," I explained, shifting to walk more normally.

"The enemy seems to be behaving differently than before," Ami-chan observed.

"Do you think so?" I asked, curious. Yes, it was more energy than usual, but maybe they had wanted to do a hit-and-run attack to lessen the chance of us catching up with them before they could actually get the energy. We all stopped and looked up at the apartment building, and Ami-chan didn't answer.

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I rang the doorbell, calling "Good afternoon". The door opened, and Seijuro-san was standing just inside. Natsumi-san was standing just behind them. Oddly enough, the pair was dressed nearly identically.

"Oh! Usagi-san! Glad to see you!" he exclaimed. Natsumi coughed, but it seemed fake.

"Oh, matching outfits! That's weird for a brother and sister!" Mamo-chan was right; my old ditzy behavior was showing. It was pretty foolish to just blurt the observation out like that.

"It's true; you look like lovers," Mako-chan agreed, scowling at them.

Seijuro laughed a little, rubbing his hand against the back of his head. "Really? We lost our parents when we were young, so maybe our bond is stronger than normal siblings." My heart melted for them a little, sympathetic that they were all alone.

"I didn't know that," I murmured. Maybe that was why they were overly enthusiastic about their pursuit of Mamo-chan or I, since they weren't used to having to care about anyone other than themselves.

"So what brings you here?" Natsumi demanded, glaring at my friends and I. "It's impolite to just stop by."

"How can you say that?!" Mako-chan demanded, temper rising. "Usagi-chan was worried about you guys!"

"Mako-chan!" Ami-chan chided.

"But, you know?! Usagi-chan, doesn't it make you mad?" I could only nod, still shocked by Natsumi's lashing out when all I had done was show concern. We might not have been close friends or anything, but did she really think so little of me?

"Since you're here, why not come inside and have something to drink?" her brother offered.

"Onii-sama!" Natsumi protested.

"Please, come in." His sister turned up her nose and huffed.

Seijuro went to the kitchen, but the girls and I went to the sofa arrangement in the living room. Ami-chan, Mako-chan, and Natsumi-san took seats, but I leaned against the back of the couch behind Ami-chan.

"Why didn't you come to school?" I asked Natsumi, trying to make conversation or get something other than dislike from the girl.

"Why?" she repeated. "Does it matter?"

"It does matter," I disagreed. "Because everyone was worried about you."

"Worried? Why's that?" Sometimes Natsumi really didn't seem to understand people.

"Why?" I mused. "Because we're friends! 'Did she get hurt?' or 'Is she suffering from a cold?' You know, that kind of stuff!"

"That's right," Mako-chan agreed, still refusing to look at Natsumi-san.

"If you don't come to school, you will be behind in your studies, too," Ami-chan added.

"I don't get it. Anyway, no matter what happens to me, it has nothing to do with you guys," Natsumi frowned.

"That's enough!" Mako-chan burst. "Let's go home!"

Just before Mako-chan's outburst, I had wandered a little and found an interesting door. "Hey, is this your study room? Oh, it has an automatic door!"

Natsumi leapt to her feet, but Seijuro appeared at my side holding a tray of drinks. "You can't!" I flinched. "It's really messy. It's not a place we can show you!"

"Then you should ask Mako-chan for help!" I declared. "She's really great at cleaning. Right, Mako-chan?"

Mako-chan didn't reply, and the room was silent for a second.

"That's not necessary," Natsumi snapped. She held out my things. "Anyway, you're annoying us, so please go home!" I looked at her, confused, reluctantly accepting them. "Go on, go on!"

My friends scowled at her. "Usagi-chan, let's go home! Come on, hurry!" Mako-chan called.

"Then, see you!" I said as cheerfully as I could.

"Oh, Usagi-san, how about a drink?" Seijuro-san asked.

"Maybe next time," I replied, waving. I walked out quietly with my friends, not saying a word, only wondering why I seemed to inspire such hatred in her.

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"So, let's go!" I urged the next morning. I had gotten up particularly early to go to Natsumi and Seijuro's apartment in an effort to mend whatever had gone wrong between us.

"You're such a nuisance, showing up so early in the morning," Natsumi said.

"I can understand wanting to goof off, but anyway, let's go!"

"Oh, Usagi-san, did you come to see us again?!" Seijuro asked as he appeared, toothbrush and mug in hand.

"Oh, I just came here to pick up Natsumi-san," I told him with as big a smile as I could muster.

"Onii-sama, don't you think she's annoying?" Natsumi frowned. I was hurt, but I hid it as quickly as I could.

"Since you went to the trouble of coming here, why don't you have some cake and meat buns?" her brother offered.

"Oh, thank you!" I cheered, slipping in past Natsumi.

"Onii-sama…" she sighed.

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Natsumi and Seijuro were in the kitchen and I found myself staring at the mysterious door Seijuro had kept me away from during my last visit.

'When you're told not to look it makes you want to see even more,' I thought, eyeing it carefully. "Oh, Usagi! You're such a bad girl!"

Being rather foolish, I opened the door. It was pitch black, and for a moment I couldn't see anything, but it suddenly became very bright. I flinched away and screamed when something seemed to grab onto my shoulder, arm and pigtails. The door closed, cutting away whatever was grabbing me, and I fell to my knees panting.

"Usagi-san, are you all right?" Seijuro demanded as he knelt at my side.

"What is this room?!" I yelped.

"Oh, I'm experimenting with something right now," he explained.

"What kind of experiment?" I asked, beginning to calm down. It was one thing to be attacked as Sailor Moon, but when I was attacked as an unsuspecting normal person it really scared me.

"Well, let's just say it has something to do with cosmic botany," he told me with a faint smile.

"Really? I didn't know."

"Tsukino-san!" Natsumi snapped behind me. "It's rude to peep into someone's room without permission!"

"I'm sorry," I stuttered, standing up.

"Anyway, I'm not going to school today. So would you mind leaving?"

"Okay," I nodded slowly, still shaken by my encounter with that… _thing_. I left, waving up to Seijuro on the balcony. "Make sure you both come to school tomorrow!" I called.

I know I said before I didn't like them, but sometimes they seemed all right. I was actually worried about the pair, and I really did hope that things worked out for them.

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"Oh? You went there again?"

I smiled sheepishly at Mako-chan, unsure of how to reply.

"You sure are something, Usagi-chan," Ami-chan commented. I laughed a little only to see Ami wince. "Oh, Usagi-chan! You have something on your head."

"What?"

Mako-chan leapt to her feet and swatted whatever it was away with a stick. We all bent over it curiously until it started moving. Each of us leapt away as if we'd been hit with one of Jupiter's lightning bolts.

"What is this?!" Mako-chan demanded.

Ami-chan leaned over it again as it continued twisting. "It looks creepy."

I nodded my agreement.

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At Hikawa Shrine that afternoon, all of us consulted with Luna and Artemis regarding the mysterious plant that had been in my hair. Mamo-chan and Kunzite had been unable to attend, so Minako-chan and I had volunteered to relay any important information.

"Luna, did you find out something?" Ami-chan asked.

"We found out something troubling," my feline guardian responded. "Artemis, it's dangerous, but why don't you try?"

"What? I don't really want to…" Minako-chan's pet denied.

"Artemis!"

"Okay, I got it!" He approached the glass jar the plant had been placed in and leaned against the edge, dangling one white paw over it. Suddenly, it leapt up and wound around his paw, not releasing. Eventually, he managed to throw it back in, where it continued to writhe.

Luna examined it for a moment before speaking again. "So do you understand?"

"Not at all!" I proclaimed. I figured there was a point being made, but I wasn't seeing it.

"So it steals energy?" Ami-chan guessed.

"That's right," Luna agreed.

"Usagi-chan, I can't believe you had it stuck on your head," Mako-chan muttered.

"After we studied this, we found out something very troubling," Artemis explained.

"What?" All of us asked at once.

"Do you want to know?" he asked.

Minako-chan took a step forward. "Stop beating around the bush and just tell us!" she admonished her guardian.

"Well, this is a twig of the Makaiju, the Hell Tree."

"Makaiju?" we repeated.

"Hmm, I see…" I murmured, kneeling in front of the jar. I didn't, but for the sake of the group the leader had to appear to know _something_. Never mind, I had to ask. "What's that?"

"It's a mysterious cosmic plant that drains energy," Luna told me, slightly annoyed. "However, this is the only thing we know. No one actually knows what it is."

Mina and Mako-chan exchanged glances while Rei-chan considered. "I wonder why something so dangerous was at Natsumi-san's place."

"Seijuro-san told me he was studying plants," I informed them. "That means…"

"That means?" Everyone else repeated.

"He's collecting rare plants!" I declared. Yes, I do realize that I was lying, but I wasn't going to do anything rash until I was sure that Seijuro or Natsumi were involved with our enemies. There was too much to be coincidence- we were fighting energy thieves, and two people that mysteriously appeared at the same time had an energy stealing tree? No, definitely not a coincidence.

"Why are you always so clueless?!" Rei-chan snapped.

"If there's a twig, then there's a big tree where it came from," Luna said.

"No normal person collects stuff like that!" Minako-chan stated firmly. I glanced at her out of the corner of my eye, noticing the way she kept looking to the side, not meeting our gazes. This must've been what she and Kunzite had suspected and hadn't shared with the rest of us.

"You think so?" I asked.

"Conclusion! Those two are suspicious!" Rei decided.

"What?"

"Those two might also be behind the incidents we've had recently," Artemis agreed.

"In short, Seijuro-san and Natsumi-san are Ali and En!" Mako-chan finished the train of thought.

"No way!" I protested, even though I agreed. I wanted to check before I said anything definite.

88888888

I headed to their apartment at Juuban Odyssey, but Luna followed me.

"Usagi-chan, it's dangerous to act alone," my guardian warned.

"Luna! Luna, I can't believe that Seijuro-san and Natsumi-san are Ali and En," I told her.

She shook her head at me. "I'm not that easily fooled, Usagi-chan. You had already guessed before the others said it. Now, why are you going alone?"

I sighed and stared up at the building. "I don't want to put them in danger again. Every time we have an enemy, they get hurt for me, and I can't bear to see it. I'm going alone. Besides, if I'm the only one there, I can reason with them. If all of us came, it would only be a fight, and people could be hurt."

"You don't think they're bad people."

I shook my head. "Bad, no. Misled? That's more likely in my mind. I want to talk to them first, instead of just having to defeat them."

Luna frowned at me, but reluctantly agreed, deciding to remain nearby so she could alert the Senshi if things went wrong.

I was headed for the building again when someone called out. "Yo, Odango Atama!"

"Mamo-chan!" I cheered, turning to face him. He was carrying a bouquet, which confused me. "Where are you going?"

He pointed at the same building. "There. You said Natsumi-san was sick and hadn't been to school."

"No, she's ditching," I informed him. "Mamo-chan, something is up with her and her brother."

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

"There's a Makaiju in their apartment, a Hell Tree. It steals energy. I ran afoul of it this morning before school. The Senshi think they're Ali and En."

"And you?"

I frowned. "They're probably right, but I decided to be absolutely certain before we acted. I'm going back now to find out."

"Alone?" he demanded, irritated.

"Well… yeah."

He shook his head. "I'm coming too, Usako. You aren't going rushing into danger without backup."

"Mamo-chan!" I protested. "I'll be fine!"

He ignored me and continued on. I started muttering under my breath as I followed, cursing stubborn boyfriends and obnoxious feline advisors.

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Natsumi looked completely awestruck when Mamo-chan handed her the flowers. "What? You came to see me? But, why?"

"Anyone would usually get worried if someone he knew were sick," Mamo-chan explained with a kind smile.

"I think you should hurry up and leave," I told him softly. I touched his mind, explaining it wasn't safe, that he was still recovering from the energy drain of using his powers. He ignored me.

I guess that it was the first time Natsumi noticed I was there, because she finally looked at me. "Oh, you came again? Since you're here, why don't you come inside?"

"What?" Last time I was here she had tried to throw me out and had been very rude. Maybe Mamo-chan's charm was getting to her.

I heard someone else inside, probably Seijuro-san. "Oh, Usagi-san! Please come in and have something to drink." I barely resisted the urge to point out that every time he offered me something to drink I never got it. "We still have the cake and meat buns that you missed out on last time."

"Sure!" I agreed. "This time I'm not going to miss those." I wasn't going to leave my Mamo-chan alone with them, after all.

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We settled in the living room, and things seemed pleasant enough. I began to wonder if all of us had been overreacting, since Natsumi and Seijuro hadn't done anything odd.

Mamo-chan watched me devour the treats for a moment before setting his cup down. "Wow, you have a great view."

"If you go out on the balcony, you can see much better," Natsumi told him. "Onii-sama, why don't you take him outside?"

Scratch what I said about not doing anything odd. It was definitely unusual for Natsumi-san not to try to sucker onto Mamo-chan any chance she got.

"What?" Seijuro asked. "Okay." Both men stepped outside.

"Tsukino-san?" Natsumi said suddenly, catching my attention. "I'll show you something good." I swear she sounded like she was trying to bribe a small child. I reluctantly played along.

"What?"

"Remember? The room you wanted to see so badly?"

As if I could forget. The tree had tried to steal my energy, as I recalled. We both looked at it. 'What should I do?' I wondered. 'I know what's in there, but I do need to know what's going on. I have a bad feeling about this.'

"To tell you the truth, we're being threatened by something very terrifying," Natsumi confided. That caught my attention, since it was on my list of possible reasons to have a Hell Tree in your apartment and not be evil.

"Something terrifying?" I repeated.

"Yes, and it's in the next room. But it's sleeping right now, so it'll be okay," she said brightly. Her sudden shift in tone made me suspicious, but I really did need to find out more about things before I leapt to conclusions. How did a tree sleep though? "Come."

"Okay…" I said reluctantly as she tugged me off the couch. We stood facing the door. "Maybe next time," I muttered, really not liking the vibes I was picking up.

"No, now's the time," Natsumi disagreed. She was standing behind me, hands on my shoulders. The doors opened, and next I knew, she pushed me in. I immediately stopped blocking my mind from Mamo-chan's and reached out to him. "Yamandakka! Don't lose her!"

"What?!" I asked, shocked. Natsumi had to be En, then, and I had been wrong to think that they weren't trying to hurt people, or that it had been the Makaiju's doing.

The doors closed and I saw the Cardian reaching for me, calling "Dakka!" As it grabbed me, I screamed, even while it began draining my energy. I quickly placed dampers to contain my energy, knowing I had a fight coming, but it was still getting more than I liked.

I heard something, from what I had no idea. "That's enough! That's enough! That's enough! THAT'S ENOUGH!"

"Da-kka?" the Cardian said, looking confused.

"Stop it already!" whatever it was yelled. A bright light filled the room. I saw the tree as it began to move, roots pulling out of the ground, vines shooting from the leaves above. The building began to shake, and I heard yelling in the main room.

"What's that?!" I recognized Seijuro's tone, Ali's tone.

"What's going on?!" Mamo-chan!

The tree smashed through the door and wall, and we were all staring at the Makaiju. I heard Natsumi ask what was wrong.

"Help!" I screamed at Mamo-chan. The tree had grabbed both Yamandakka and myself.

"Odango!" he yelled.

"Usagi-san!" Seijuro called.

The Cardian was screaming, and the Makaiju proceeded to slam it to the ground. It stopped moving.

I heard thunder below, heralding the Senshi's approach, but I couldn't help screaming. I was scared, my energy was low, and Mamo-chan and the others were in harm's way too.

I was beginning to lose consciousness as I wondered how things never worked out for the better in these scenarios.

88888888

AN: A lot of this followed the dialogue in Japanese episode 58, The Lovers' Hearts Disagree! The Angry Hell Tree. I don't have any claim to those parts, but some has been redone to reflect the shifted relationships. Now, as usual, please let me know what you thought! Any questions, comments, suggestions or the like are always welcome! Till next time!


	8. Learn To Love

AN: Last chapter! I'm so sorry for the delay, but I've been having awful writer's block on how to end this. Luckily, it finally gave up, so this is the end result. But, enough of my babbling, go read it!

Disclaimer: No, I don't own Sailor Moon. Unfortunately.

88888888

The Hell Tree had both of us, and I couldn't reach him. He was barely aware, his eyes unfocused and fatigue clear on his face, but he responded to my voice. I kept trying to grab his hand, but we were just too far apart.

Finally, I managed to twine my fingers with his. It was a small contact, almost nonexistent, but it was there, and I immediately pushed energy through to him, to sustain him as best as I could.

It was an overextension of a magic user's powers that had the most drastic effects, more so than a mere drainage. It was why using the Ginzuishou could kill me, and I had at least some training. Mamo-chan had none, and as a result was still recovering from the effort it had taken to heal me. He had saved my life, but at the moment it was at the risk of his, and I couldn't stand it.

I could feel his body eagerly drawing in the strength I offered, but I was already tired and it kept me from giving him as much aide as I would have liked. I was already wearing down when a boot came in contact with our hands, knocking us apart.

"Don't touch my Usagi-san," Ali scowled.

"I'm not… yours…" I forced out as I continued combating my own weariness. "Let him… go."

Ali and En began having some argument about Mamo-chan and I, though I hardly cared for the specifics. I reached for Mamo-chan's hand again. He didn't have the Kinzuishou, and it made him especially vulnerable. At least I had mine, and it was the only reason I still had enough power to support either of us. The Ginzuishou was dropping off quickly though, still weak from the battle with Beryl. The best it could do was return to me some of the life force I had sacrificed in that fight.

The aliens commanded my attention again when they began shouting at the Makaiju, each ordering it to take one of our energy. The bickering continued at length and I already knew what the outcome would be. I braced myself as best as I could, building protective barriers around my power to keep as much from being stolen.

The Hell Tree reacted to the conflict exactly as expected and began draining each of us. It was too much for Mamo-chan, who passed out, and I was hovering on the edge myself. Ali and En were shouting again, and I could feel one of them at my side.

Some sort of sonic wave swept the area. Held tightly by the Makaiju as we were, Mamo-chan and I were unaffected, but both our aggressors were knocked away. Abruptly, the grip on us vanished and both Mamo-chan and I fell rapidly. A sense of displaced air told me someone had teleported nearby, and I was lowered to the ground gently rather than continuing to fall. I forced my eyes open and realized Ali had me in his arms.

I reached out to the Ginzuishou, begging it for just a bit more strength, wishing desperately to be able to protect Mamo-chan. He wouldn't be able to take much more; already he had lost enough energy to put him in serious danger. It responded to my deepest desire, offering me more power, regenerating my energy more quickly. I managed to push Ali away and crawled to Mamo-chan's side.

En moved to strike me, but Ali caught her hand. I ignored them and placed both hands on Mamo-chan's chest, feeling with my magic pressed against his, giving him some of the power the Ginzuishou had passed to me. I barely forced him out of the most dire risk, but I couldn't do more than that. He needed the Kinzuishou's energy, and that meant Kunzite since he had not yet won the right to it.

"Let him go," I coughed. "Do whatever you want to me, but don't hurt him again. He'll die if you take any more of his energy. He's barely breathing." I was begging, but I didn't care.

En pulled up short at the last statement before checking herself. "She's right!" She lifted him and teleported both of them away, and I let out the breath I had been holding. He was away from them, and Kunzite would find him and save his life.

'I'm sorry,' I whispered to him. 'I know I said I'd be careful, but I had to save you.' I reached out to Kunzite, adding my alarm bell to Mamoru's. I could feel that he had been left in the park, not too far from our clearing, and directed the Shitennou to him, pleading desperately that he arrive as fast as possible. I felt him appear, felt the shock and worry that radiated from him upon seeing his prince's pain, felt the anger when he realized what must've happened.

The strain of mental communication was too much on my overtaxed powers, and that was the last sense I got from anyone else. The Ginzuishou pulsed wildly against my chest, trying to sustain me. With the outpour of power, I realized that it could cause Serenity to surface. I clasped the Ginzuishou in both hands, demanding it to quiet, that I didn't need that much magic, that I only needed some energy. Reluctantly, it calmed under my touch, subsiding as it felt that my desperation had passed.

Luckily, Ali had not noticed the light show because of En's return, and the two were arguing violently. I heard En mention the Senshi being in the building below, but had not yet been able to reach us.

I cautiously looked up, releasing my hold on my broach, and carefully rearranged my exhausted limbs until I was in a seated position rather than being sprawled on the floor.

Eventually both seemed to reach an agreement of some sort, and I saw only ill intent in their eyes. Ali hadn't been pleased by my rejection, I realized, though my only concern had been for Mamo-chan's safety at the time. The tree was reaching for me again, and I wanted to weep, knowing that I wouldn't survive much longer either.

If I died, Mamo-chan would be left alone, and he'd shut himself away from everyone in his grief. My Senshi would fall apart, not able to bear each other without me in the heart of the group. My family would have no idea what happened to me, and my friends at school would be shocked.

The Makaiju had me in its grasp again and I screamed in desperate pain, too weak to do anything to block the drain, too exhausted to continue fighting.

Serenity shouted at me as I drifted in and out. 'Usagi, listen to me. Usagi! Henshin, right now! Usagi, you have to become Sailor Moon!'

One hand fluttered to my broach, but I couldn't manage to lift it. Instead, I just let my fingers rest on its cover. "Moon… Crystal… Power… MAKE-UP!"

The Hell Tree released me as if burnt, and I was falling, but my power poured over me in waves, giving me more energy, more strength, taking away the sharp edge of my exhaustion. By the time I reached the ground, I landed with newly booted feet, my Scepter already in my hand.

"Sailor Moon!" someone screamed from the entry.

I glanced up. "Guys!"

My Senshi ran to join me, dodging attacks thrown at them by Ali and En, reaching my side and pushing me into Mercury's arms.

"Check her, Mercury-chan," Venus ordered. "Mars, Jupiter, combine attacks and see if we can do those aliens any damage."

Mercury immediately pulled out her computer and twisted her earring to bring out her visor while both Mars and Jupiter began to attack.

"BURNING…"

"SPARKLING WIDE…"

"MANDALA!"

"PRESSURE!"

An electrified fire ring stream flew at Ali and En, but they deflected it effortlessly, causing the attack to break on the shield. We all gasped in horror.

"There's no way!" Mars yelped.

"Mercury?!" Venus pleaded.

"She's drained pretty badly, but she's probably strong enough to fight," Mercury assured her of me. "As for those two, I don't know."

I knew I was in no shape to fight. The Ginzuishou felt sluggish against my chest, and I was already at the limits of how much I could draw from it without killing myself. Being Sailor Moon was the only thing keeping me conscious, due to her naturally heightened energy state. I glanced down at the hand grasping my Scepter, realizing it was shaking.

Venus shot me an appraising glance and shook her head. "There's no way she can fight now. It's a miracle she's still on her feet."

"We need to find a way to get her out of here but still be able to stop Ali and En," Mars worried. "They've already proved that even two of us together can't stop them."

"Do you guys know anything else about the Makaiju?" I asked.

They shook their heads. "I thought it was sentient when we arrived," Mars offered.

I nodded. "Yes, it seems conscious of making choices. Maybe that's key?"

"Should we attack the Tree?" Jupiter asked.

"No," Mercury disagreed. "It absorbs energy, remember? It would absorb our attacks just as easily."

The Makaiju seemed to be going wild. Roots were ripping from the ground as branches lashed viciously in all directions. Jupiter-chan grabbed me and leapt out of the main fray as the others scattered.

Ali was yelling at the Hell Tree, demanding it obey his orders. En was less concerned, preferring to alternate between similar orders and throwing attacks at us. I couldn't get out of the way in time, so Jupiter jumped in front of me, taking the hit instead.

"No, Jupiter!" I protested as I caught her. "Why did you do that?!"

"You're already in bad shape," she replied as she straightened. I studied her carefully, but it seemed that it had been a momentary shock and that she was already recovering. "We're not going to risk you anymore, Sailor Moon. Mercury says you were drained too much, and Venus says you can't fight. That means we defend you and _you_ cooperate."

I was about to argue, but she grabbed me and jumped thirty feet into the air to dodge three blows at once. The force of it took most of the air from my lungs, and she noticed.

"See?" she asked as we paused on an overhang. "Normally this wouldn't even make you breathe harder, and you're panting like you just ran through all of Tokyo with youma at your heels."

We had to move again, but Jupiter took a glancing blow to the shoulder courtesy of En. She hissed, rubbing it viciously. Mars raced to join us, ordering Jupiter to take care of herself. "I'll take Sailor Moon," she reassured the stormy girl.

"Mars!" I cheered. Maybe she would be more willing to listen to me. "I can fight too!"

She just arched one brow at me. "I'm not that dense, Usagi. You would have been toast earlier if Jupiter hadn't gotten in the way."

"But I'm the only one that can stop this!" I protested. "None of you are strong enough to take on En or Ali."

Rei shook her head. "The Makaiju's gone mad- it's nearly hit both of them a few times. Stopping them won't stop this."

"Then we stop the Tree. You said you thought it was sentient, so maybe we can reason with it."

"If it was ever intelligent," she frowned, "which I'm not saying it was, I don't think it'll be listening now. It seems beyond logic."

"I have to try," I begged. "If we can make it stop, it might return the stolen energy. Rei-chan, they hurt Mamo-chan really badly. I don't know if he'll make it."

"He was here?!" she asked sharply.

I nodded. "Both of us were, but then En shoved me in here to be Tree food and Mamo-chan came charging in."

She grabbed me and hurled both of us into the air before we settled in a crevice in the wall. "And because he was still weak from the energy loss when he healed you, he took some serious damage," Mars summarized, understanding. "So that's what has you trying to fight when you're obviously in no condition to do so."

There was a rush of air and Kunzite appeared next to us. "Lady Mars, Princess."

"How is he?!" I demanded. "Kunzite, how is he?"

He frowned. "When I arrived, he was not breathing well and his heart kept faltering. I gave him energy and took him to Helios. He needed more than I could do."

"So he's in Elysian?" I asked eagerly. "And Helios is using the Kinzuishou to help him. He'll be okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Priest Helios gave strong reassurances. Now, what is the situation here?"

Mars gave him a quick run-through. "Sailor Moon isn't in any condition to deal with Ali and En or the Makaiju. Mamoru-san wasn't the only one they were taking energy from."

He looked me over. "If you prefer, I can teleport her away," he offered.

"No!" I snapped. "I know you're trying to protect me, but no. I need to be here to help."

Before either could argue, there was a scream. Ali was sprawled on the ground, I guess because of one of the Hell Tree's wild attacks. En stood protectively in front of him, trying to block him from further injury even as the Makaiju's branches arrowed at them.

It felt like every second was a year. I could practically see what happened in slow motion as the Tree struck her in the face. She bowed back before collapsing, with Ali lunging to catch her.

I leapt to the ground between them and the Makaiju and drew my Scepter. A momentary glance back showed her eyes were clouding and there was blood at the corner of her mouth- she was dying, then. A second later her eyes closed and her hand fell from Ali's.

The Hell Tree was already swinging around to attack again as I screamed. "NO! STOP! DON'T!"

Brilliant light filled the room, similar to the abrupt brightness that had appeared when I had first opened this room. A giant voice seemed to fill my mind. "IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOU WANT, SAILOR MOON?"

I nodded as soon as I realized it was the Tree that spoke. "Don't hurt anyone else, please. Hasn't enough damage been done? Sailor Mars told me you were sentient, so I have to believe you know how to be kind. Spare them any more pain."

I- I don't know, I _felt_ the Makaiju look at Ali, who was wrapped around En, tears in his eyes. "NO, I WILL DO NO MORE. THEY FINALLY SEE WHAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SHOW THEM."

"I don't understand," I murmured, glancing at them as well. "What were you trying to do?"

I blinked, and I seemed to be in another world. There was a beautifully sparkling blue ocean, and a large island. A tree stood there, which I understood to be the Hell Tree, but it didn't look as I had seen it. Glancing around, I saw Ali at my side, En cradled in his arms.

"THIS WAS MY LIFE, ONCE. IT WAS JUST THE SEA AND I. I WAS LONELY, HOWEVER, SO I CREATED CHILDREN." As I watched, pods on the tree opened to reveal younger versions of Ali and En. "THEY LIVED WITH ME IN HARMONY, AND MY ENERGY SUSTAINED THEM. HOWEVER, THEY BECAME GREEDY AND FOUGHT FOR IT THOUGH THERE WAS ENOUGH FOR ALL. OUR WORLD WAS DESTROYED. I MANAGED TO ESCAPE WITH ONLY A FEW OF MY CHILDREN."

The image shifted to reflect the words, showing the Tree adrift in space, with a mere handful of the people. I could imagine what would've happened- such plants were only suited to certain environments, and the search would have cost a number of the survivors their lives. Sure enough, more and more of them vanished until only two little ones were left.

The Makaiju continued, but I didn't need the words. Serenity's memory had included a few similar incidents, where a destroyed planet had left a species homeless. They were incompatible with so many places that oftentimes they died out completely before they could find a new place. This explained Ali and En. It was no wonder they had been so determined to take whatever they desired, when that had been the only way for them to survive. Frankly, I was impressed that the two of them had managed at all.

"IT IS THE ENERGY OF LOVE I NEED TO SURVIVE," the Hell Tree sighed, "BUT THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND, AND I WAS TOO WEAK TO SPEAK TO THEM. I TRIED SHOWING THEM, BUT THEY SIMPLY PERSISTED IN GIVING ONLY ENERGY THAT HAD BEEN STOLEN AND FELT OF PAIN."

"Stolen energy is the only thing they could think of," I sighed. "They had no way to know. What were you trying to show them?"

"I WAS TRYING TO SHOW THEM LOVE," it explained. "I BEGAN TO DESPAIR, AND I AM SORRY FOR THE INJURY DONE TO YOU. NOW, THOUGH, THEY SEE WHAT WAS NOT CLEAR BEFORE."

"Too late," Ali murmured bitterly. "En is dead. I saw what you wanted when you took her from me."

"IT IS NOT OVER, MY CHILD," the Tree reassured. "IF SAILOR MOON WILL DO ME A FAVOR, YOU WILL HAVE A SECOND CHANCE."

"Anything," I promised, "but release the stolen energy. My own love is struggling to live for the loss."

"IF YOU WILL DO AS I ASK, I WILL DO THE SAME FOR YOU."

"Then name it." I realized I was seeing the real world again, and my Senshi stood at my back while Kunzite was supporting me. I hadn't realized how tired I was.

"TAKE AWAY THE EVIL, SAILOR MOON. CLEANSE ME AND I WILL SEE THAT THOSE INJURED ARE RETURNED THEIR ENERGY."

Kunzite's grasp on my arm tightened. "She is too tired to attempt such a thing. Even now she's barely standing."

"I WILL RETURN HER ENERGY BEFORE SHE PROCEEDS."

I felt it hit me in a wave, and I nearly danced with joy and vitality. "Thank you. Now I'll do what you asked." I raised the Scepter. "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!"

"CLEANSING!"

The Tree vanished, and I felt the energy flying away in various directions, returning to the humans it had originated in. Reaching along my link with Mamo-chan, I discovered he was regaining strength as well.

Flashing light caught my attention and I turned to see En shimmering in Ali's embrace as various colors ran over her. A moment later, her eyes opened, locking with his.

"You're all right!" he exclaimed.

She nodded slowly. "What happened?"

As Ali explained, I glanced around. Something seemed odd to me- the Tree had said that its children depended on its energy for survival, but it was gone. Wasn't it?

No. I realized there was a tiny sprout floating in a small bubble and drew the others' attention to it. It went to En's hands, and both recognized what it was. A fresh beginning, with a Tree untainted by darkness.

Kunzite vanished before reappearing moments later with Mamo-chan leaning against his shoulder. He immediately drew me into a tight hug, muttering against my hair that I was an idiot and that I should have listened to him when he said to be careful and that I shouldn't have offered myself to save him. I just smiled and glanced at Kunzite.

"Helios says that he will be fully recovered in a few days," he reassured me.

I began to sag in Mamo-chan's arms. Though the Tree had returned the stolen energy, I had exhausted myself just using the Scepter since I had still been recovering as well. He looked at me worriedly, but I waved it off.

Ali and En stood, facing us. "We're sorry for the damage we've done," En began.

Ali nodded. "We would stay to make amends, but this is not our place. We will continue to search for a new home."

Both began to rise, holding the tiny sprout between them. "Good luck to you," I called. "Maybe we'll meet again someday."

"Thank you, Sailor Moon!" En called.

All of us waved until they were out of sight. I slipped into a seated position, leaning against Mamo-chan. The Senshi and Kunzite eyed us warily. "It's fine," I reassured them. "We're just tired."

Kunzite nodded. "I'll return Endymion to his home. Would you ladies be so kind as to escort the Princess?"

"Don't call us that," Mamo-chan and I said automatically as the Senshi laughed.

"Let the nice general take your boyfriend home," Venus teased before dehenshining. "We'll make sure you get back safely."

Kunzite hauled Mamo-chan up, making him put his arm over his shoulder so he could carry the majority of his weight. A moment later, they vanished. I assumed that Mamo-chan would be forced to suffer bed rest for the next day or two, and I rather expected to suffer the same at my Senshi's caring hands.

Jupiter dehenshined as well, and the rest of us followed suit. Once done, she and Rei-chan took positions on either side of me and helped me to my feet, but I wouldn't let them pull me around. "I can walk!" I protested.

Amazingly, they backed off, and we headed out of the building peacefully enough. No media had appeared yet, probably scared of being attacked still, so we didn't have to worry about being seen.

Though it wasn't necessary, all of them came with me instead of going home themselves. I was yawning by halfway, and eventually Mako-chan huffed and gave me a piggy-back instead. By the time we reached my door I was practically asleep.

My Senshi glanced at me and then my house, unsure of what to do, but they were spared making a decision when my mother appeared. She just sent them home, telling them to get some rest before they looked as bad as I did, and helped me inside and into bed.

Luna settled next to me as she left the room, looking me over carefully. "It seems things worked out after all."

I nodded. "Ali and En are gone, so that's good, but I think Mama may know about us. She didn't look at all surprised when we got here."

Luna shrugged, as much as a cat can. "If she does, she hasn't said anything. Get some rest, Usagi. We can worry about it later."

"Mhmm," I murmured as my eyes slid closed. I knew that it would be the first time since this mess had started that I would sleep well, without nightmares or a fight to wake me.

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AN: It's all done! I'm planning to do a sequel, but I'm not sure. Two of my amazing reviewers has already agreed I should, but I'd like to hear what everyone else thinks too. I may even end up spreading this series across the entire anime. So, like usual, tell me what you think! Questions, comments, suggestions, constructive criticism, anything! Till next time!


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